Starlight Academy
by GhostFairy
Summary: Best friends Sophie, Mei Mei, Madoka, and Hikaru are psyched when they learn they've been accepted to Starlight Academy, the newest elite boarding school. Up until recently, Starlight Academy had been abandoned for over a century. Now resurrected, the school is back on the scene, but its dark past hasn't been forgotten. The school isn't the only thing coming back to life.
1. Ducere Me In Lucem

**I'm back! :) For those of you who have read _A Summer To Remember_ , this is the story I referred to in my last author's note. I started it in 2012, making it one of my oldest fics, picked it up again in 2015, then finally got back into it this year continuing around chapter 9. Old chapters will be edited before I post them so they're more polished. The title in my notes for the past six years has literally been "Beyblade Horror Story" and I haven't come up with much better, so please excuse the not-so-great title I've settled on. Thankfully, I already had a summary written. No struggles with that at least.**

 **In my notes, younger me decided each chapter would be named after a song for whatever reason, but I think I'll stick with it; if you want a soundtrack while you read or wanna get into new music, here you go. This chapter is "Ducere Me in Lucem" by Sirenia, which translates more or less into "to lead me into the light" in Latin. Enjoy, let me know what you think!**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

In her hands, Mei Mei held the envelope containing the letter that could be responsible for changing her life forever. Anxiously, she tore through the envelope and read the paper that would determine her destiny.

"Yes!" Mei Mei cheered excitedly. "I'M IN!"

She immediately grabbed her cell phone and 4-way dialed her best friends: Madoka, Sophie, and Hikaru.

"Guys, I'M IN!" she shrieked.

"No way! Me, too!" Madoka replied, just as excited.

"I'm opening my letter right now," Sophie said, her voice barely containing her anticipation.

The girls waited a few moments for Sophie to read her paper.

"IN!"

The girls screamed with joy.

"Hey, wait a minute. Hikaru, are you in, too?" Madoka asked.

"The mail truck hasn't come yet," Hikaru sighed.

"If I was you, I probably would have gone to the post office by now and demanded my letter," Mei Mei laughed.

"Yeah, I- THE TRUCK IS HERE!" Hikaru screeched. "Be right back!"

The girls waited with bated breath for Hikaru to return. Never before had the four of them been so silent on the phone together.

"Guys..." Hikaru came back on the phone a few minutes later and her voice trailed off. In the background, they could hear the ripping of paper as she tore through the envelope. She took a deep breath. "I GOT IN!"

* * *

Hikaru was waiting anxiously at the train station. Seriously, where were her friends? They did not want to miss this train.

Suddenly, Madoka came into view, lugging three giant bags behind her. Hikaru stifled a laugh.

Madoka was the smart one of the group. For some reason, though, it never failed that she brought twice as much as necessary. She always ended needing someone to help her.

A few minutes later, Sophie and Mei Mei showed up together.

Sophie, ever the fashionista of the group, surprisingly only had one bag with her, but it was huge. Mei Mei had two bags, both about medium size.

Hikaru looked down at her one, average-sized bag. She sighed, then went to help Madoka out. She didn't understand why her friends needed so much stuff, especially when they had uniforms where they were going.

Starlight Academy.

Over 100 years ago, Starlight Academy had been a prestigious boarding school for rich kids. Something went wrong, though, and for reasons unknown, the school had been shut down and forgotten.

But now, the building had been restored to its former glory and was once again accepting students. The process to get in was extremely tough and the acceptance rate was rather low. The four of them had spent hours together working on their applications and the required essays. Hikaru was somewhat surprised that every single one of them had gotten in when they were up against so much competition, but she wasn't complaining. Starlight Academy would be so much better with all her friends there.

This would be Starlight Academy's first year back in action since it had shut its doors so many years ago. Hikaru was sure it would be one to remember.

She had no idea how right she was.

* * *

"I'm so excited," Mei Mei commented while sitting on the train. They still had over an hour before reaching their destination.

"You've said that already," Hikaru responded, amused. "Multiple times, in fact."

Sophie glanced up from the book she was reading. "Well, everyone is. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's not every day you get a chance to go off to a boarding school like this." Sophie looked over at Madoka, who was typing furiously on her laptop. "Madoka, please tell me you're not doing homework. We haven't even gotten to school yet. There aren't any assignments you could possibly be working on."

"Of course not. I'm actually looking into the legends of Starlight Academy," Madoka replied.

"Find anything good?" Hikaru asked.

"Not really," Madoka frowned. "Just a lot of stories involving supernatural creatures, vampires and stuff."

"I highly doubt there's any vampires," Sophie said, fluffing her hair out.

"Well, what are the legends?" Mei Mei pressed.

"One is about a vampire, or actually, the ghost of a vampire that haunts the school, looking for the person who killed it," Madoka explained.

"Oh yeah, that makes sense," Sophie muttered under her breath.

"All the stories are like that. Monsters going around and slaughtering the students," Madoka told her. "Well, except for one. Even it gets weird after a while, though. It's called 'The Ghost Girl'."

"Oh, because that's original."

"What is it?" Hikaru asked, intrigued.

"It's about a girl who discovered her boyfriend was cheating on her with her best friend. For revenge, she went around trying to scare them then trapped both of them and killed them."

"Even that seems cliché," Mei Mei noted.

"Here's where the story changes. After she killed them, the girl left their bodies in front of the school. Then, she disappeared. Some people thought she may have killed herself, but there was no proof to support that theory. Most people just assumed she was still alive, but had run off to hide somewhere. Every once in a while, somebody would claim they saw her. Everyone who saw her all agreed that she was always at a window, looking at the sky. Then, she would look at the person, glare, and vanish."

"I think the vampire story made more sense than that one. This girl allegedly kills two people, disappears, and then reappears, but doesn't do anything? If you're going to be vengeful like that shouldn't you do more than just glare at people? Seems like a waste of time to me, but whatever. I don't care how isolated the school was back then, law enforcement would have been all over the girl trying to find her anyway," Sophie scoffed. "Anything giving a reasonable explanation why the school closed?"

"Not really. Just that there were quite a few deaths that can be accounted for, which, if you think about it, does give a pretty valid reason for shutting it down. There aren't any further details, names of victims, or anything, though. I suppose if it happened so long ago, the only information left would be from whatever old newspapers from the time are still around, if any."

"And all that's true? Not legend?" Mei Mei's eyes widened slightly. Madoka nodded.

"That's encouraging," Hikaru said. "Are you sure this school is safe?"

"If it wasn't, it wouldn't be reopening," Sophie answered. "Besides, that was a hundred years ago. Whoever or whatever was the culprit is long gone now."

* * *

The train pulled into the station and the girls got off. A man with a sign that said "Starlight Academy" was standing off to the right. There was already a sizable pile of students crowded around him, to the point where he was barely visible if not for the sign.

The man led the students to a large coach bus. Two more were directly behind it, also designated for the school. It took quite a while to load the obscene amount of luggage before the doors of the buses were opened. Luckily, the girls all managed to get seats next to each other. Within minutes, their bus had gone from complete silence to a loud clamor. The girls almost had to scream in order to hear one another. The excitement in the air was palpable.

The road to the school was a long, winding one. It was right off the highway, but it went down a rocky back road for miles. About an hour later, the girls got their first view of the school.

"This castle was brought over piece by piece from Scotland in the 1700s," the bus driver explained to everyone.

The school was indeed a tall, looming castle. Its expanse stretched further than the girls could see from where they sat on the bus. The structure was enormous. There were many towers and parapets all around, some of them with more reinforcements than others. From a distance, it was hard to tell, but what looked to be a cannon was perched on top of one. The castle stretched up towards the sky, the dark gray stone walls giving off an ominous appearance. Vines and other plant life grew up along the side of the castle, but for the most part, it looked like someone had been trying their best to control the flora decorating the old castle. The only thing missing was a moat and the accompanying drawbridge. All around the castle, thick woods surrounded the campus.

Their new school looked like something out of a fairytale.

"We get to live in a castle for the next year!" Mei Mei whispered excitedly.

The bus stopped and students unloaded, dragging their luggage with them and going straight to the entrance.

Immediately, they were greeted by a woman with her dark hair tied back in a bun. It was difficult to tell exactly how old she was, but she barely looked thirty, maybe thirty-five at the most.

"Hello, I'm Headmistress Celestia," she said in a no-nonsense voice. "You will all be separated by grade, given a tour of the school, then be excused to your dorm room. Classes will start at 8:00 on Monday morning. Breakfast is at 7:00 until classes start except for the weekends. On the weekends, breakfast goes from 8 to 10. Dinner is from 5 to 7 every night. There is an hour-long lunch break at 12 everyday. Now, let's make this a good year without any trouble." The expression on her face was so dark and serious that some kids looked away. Each of the girls made a mental note to their best to stay on her good side. Madoka had opened up a notebook and was feverishly writing down everything the woman said.

Hikaru had to wonder how someone so young had been put in charge of the entire school. Although, the effect she had on the students by simply giving them the daily routine and laying down expectations was undeniable.

Instantly, the entryway became a chaotic mess as students scrambled to find the teacher holding a sign for their grade. Once that was settled, the boys were split apart from the girls for their own tour. Madoka peeked over at the group of guys her age, wondering if she would see anybody she recognized.

After the tour of the castle- Mei Mei was almost certain she would get lost at some point as the layout was extremely confusing with corridors shooting off in every direction with no real sense of purpose or organization- the girls received their dorm assignments. The girls' dorms were located in the west wing of the castle, on the third floor.

Their faces fell upon realizing they would not all be in the same dorm. However, Sophie and Madoka were in the same room while Hikaru and Mei Mei were together in a different room. As upsetting as it was, they were glad they hadn't been completely separated from one another, especially considering the fact that each dorm only held three students. Their situation could have been that much worse.

Hikaru and Mei Mei entered their dorm. The room was relatively large, with white and gold wallpaper and a hardwood floor covered with various throw rugs. There were three beds, and a closet off to one of the sides. Each bed also had a small desk and a dresser next to it.

"Who designed this castle?" Mei Mei asked peevishly, not paying much attention to the room. "It's like they want us to have a hard time getting around and be late to everything. What were they thinking when this place was built?"

Before Hikaru had a chance to respond, they became aware that they were no longer by themselves. Another girl was already in room.

"Hi, I'm Selen," she introduced herself. "The bed by the window is mine."

The girls weren't exactly sure how to respond to her introduction, but it quickly became obvious to Mei Mei and Hikaru that Selen had taken the best bed, as it had the window view and was right next to the closet while the other two beds were more squished off to the side, as if they had been haphazardly shoved there. Something didn't sit quite right about the room having been designed by the school so that two students were expected to share half the room while the third got the other half all to themselves.

It also became glaringly obvious that they had not gotten the best roommate, either. Selen didn't come across as someone who would be that easy to get along with.

"Hey, what are these?" Mei Mei pointed to a bag filled with clothes on each bed.

"Those are the uniforms," Selen answered disinterestedly. "Trust me, they're nothing special."

Hikaru went over to one of the beds and opened a bag. She didn't think the uniform was too hideous or unremarkable the way Selen had implied.

The outfit had a black and purple plaid pleated skirt that was pretty short in Hikaru's opinion, especially for a school uniform. There was a purple tank top with a white blouse. In addition, there was also a black, leathery vest. Assorted tights and socks of varying lengths in both purple and black were also provided. As far as uniforms went, Hikaru figured, it could have been way worse. Mei Mei's uniform was nearly identical, except that the purple color was replaced by gold.

"I don't think it's that bad," Mei Mei echoed Hikaru's thoughts.

"Speak for yourself," Selen said, hardly paying them any attention.

Hikaru went over to the closet to put some of her belongings in it, only to find that it was already cluttered with Selen's stuff. She had barely left room for anyone else to fit anything in.

It was going to be a long year.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sophie and Madoka had just entered their dorm room as well. So far, their third roommate had failed to show up.

Their room was similar in design to Hikaru and Mei Mei's. There were three beds, however, the beds were all lined up right next to each other, cutting the room into thirds, instead of having two squished together and one next to the closet. The walls were bare.

Sophie and Madoka picked their beds and found their uniforms.

"It's not bad," Sophie decided. Madoka nodded her agreement. Besides, it really wasn't like they had a choice when it came down to it anyway.

Madoka went over to the window and peered outside. Their view overlooked a lake in the distance, obscured by a thick fog. The lake water was dark, but not quite black. For some reason, she found herself drawn to it, as if there might be something there, calling to her. From where she stood, the water appeared to be still, as if there were no current at all. Something about it seemed off to Madoka. It was just a bit too spooky.

"Is that a lake?" Sophie looked out the window. "I wonder why they didn't mention it on the brochure."

"Maybe we're not supposed to go near it," Madoka suggested.

"Probably. I bet it's some type of liability if anything happens to a student in it. It is kind of weird looking out there. What's up with all that fog?" Sophie walked away from the window and resumed unpacking.

Just then, a girl with bright pink hair in pigtails burst into the room.

"Who are you people?" she asked, taking a long look around the room.

"I'm Sophie, and this is Madoka," Sophie introduced. "We're your roommates."

"Oh," the other girl looked surprised. "I was expecting someone else. Anyway, my name's Lera."

Unsure of what to do at this point, the girls informed her of which bed was hers then moved on to dividing up closet space. Lera seemed slightly annoyed with the arrangements, but didn't say anything; there was nothing she could do.

Madoka felt Lera's gaze on her several times, but didn't pay it any attention. It was her fault for not showing up earlier. At least Madoka and Sophie were trying to split up everything evenly to the best of their ability. It wasn't as though the two were deliberately attempting to make things difficult for her. Lera should have come straight to the dorm after the tour if she was so concerned about her living quarters. Madoka wondered who she had been expecting to be in the room.

The girls hoped Lera wouldn't be too bad to live with for the year, but they were prepared for the worst regardless. For the most part she did seem okay, if a little bratty. Still, that wasn't the end of the world. She didn't have much else to say while they organized the room.

Later on, the girls all met up outside their dorm rooms, once they had finished unpacking and getting settled in.

"I hate being separated like this," Mei Mei moaned.

"It won't be that bad," Madoka reassured her. "We can always hang out in the rooms together. We'll really only be separated for sleeping purposes."

"Do you guys have your schedules?" Sophie asked, getting hers out of her bag. Madoka took hers out as well.

"Where did you get that? Do we need to ask one of the teachers for them?" Hikaru asked. "We couldn't find ours."

"They were in the room when we got there. Right on the desks."

The girls went back into Mei Mei and Hikaru's room. Selen was still in there, lying on her bed listening to music. She paid them no attention, other than briefly glancing up when they entered. Her side of the room was already plastered in posters, some of them edging closer to Mei Mei and Hikaru's side. Hikaru and Mei Mei did their best to ignore her; there had already been an altercation concerning the closet. They'd barely been on campus for three hours. They had no desire to get involved in another disagreement so soon.

Sophie and Madoka looked around the room with interest; somebody had clearly rearranged the furniture in the room. Their room had been split about equally with the three beds spaced out evenly. Mei Mei and Hikaru's beds were practically on top of each other.

After a few minutes of searching, the girls were about ready to give up. There was no sign of the schedules anywhere. The desks and drawers were completely bare.

"Selen, have you seen our schedules?" Hikaru asked, doing her best to cover up the irritation in her voice.

Selen finally looked up at the girls. "Oh yeah. I think they're in the trash can or something."

"The trash can?"

"Yeah."

The girls exchanged a look with one another. Mei Mei went over to the trash and found the two pieces of paper lying at the bottom of the bin, both crumpled up. She flattened them out. "How did they get here? Selen?"

Selen paid no attention; she had already gone back to her music.

Rolling their eyes, the girls walked out of the room. It was almost time for dinner anyways, and they still had no idea how to get to the dining hall without anyone to help.


	2. Whisper

**So sorry it took nearly two weeks to update- I lost power twice in three days, and it fried the WiFi connection, so it took even longer to get this up. To compensate, I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner. Thank you to SailorCandy for the review!**

 **Also, my Halloween oneshot got more attention than I was expecting. If anyone is really interested in seeing it continued, please let me know in a review/PM/whatever and I'll think about it some more, but I seriously did not have further plans for it. The title for this chapter is the song "Whisper", by Evanescence.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

"Well, that was only slightly ridiculous," Hikaru unfolded her schedule and smoothed it out against the wall.

"Just let it go for now," Mei Mei spoke reassuringly. "We'll get through it."

Sophie looked over to Madoka and whispered, "And I thought our roommate was bad." The other girl nodded her agreement.

"Anyway, now that we've got ours, what're your schedules?" Hikaru looked over hers with interest.

"Um... Okay. Creative writing, algebra, chemistry, and gym on purple days; biology, physics, history, and astrology/astronomy on gold days," Madoka rattled off.

"Wait, what?" Mei Mei looked at her schedule. "Purple and gold days?"

"Yeah. The days alternate so we only have them every other day; which is good when you factor in homework," Madoka nodded.

"Especially when it comes to your homework, Madoka," Hikaru commented dryly, still peering down at her own class list. "Chemistry, biology, and physics? That's a lot of science to deal with. I've got gym with you, but then everything changes. Except for astrology and astronomy combo. I wonder what's up with that."

"I wish I had creative writing," Sophie frowned. "They've put me in speech during that period."

"Oooh, have fun with that one."

The girls continued comparing schedules as they made their way to the dining room, finding slight similarities, but it looked like they'd be spending most of the hour-and-a-half long classes separated from one another. In fact, the only class they did share all together was astrology/astronomy, which none of them really knew what to think of. It made sense, considering the school was Starlight Academy... but the astrology piece still seemed a bit off.

"Isn't astrology star signs?" Mei Mei asked.

Sophie nodded. "That's part of it, at least. Some people argue there's no scientific backing, so it's kind of odd they'd be teaching us about it in school."

"Who cares?" Hikaru shrugged. "If it's just about how the stars supposedly influence people, it shouldn't be too difficult. I'm sure not going to question a class that's bound to be an easy A."

Finally, they managed to find the dining hall, which was already full of students. The room was large and ornate, with glittering tapestries and other decorations covering the walls. A large, gleaming chandelier hung in the middle of the ceiling. There were at least twenty small tables, with white tablecloths and gold candelabra center pieces, surrounded by gold chairs. The whole set up made a few of the girls feel somewhat uncomfortable, as they weren't used to being in such lavish settings. This was more than a little overwhelming to take in.

Fortunately, their dorms rooms hadn't been nearly as extravagant, otherwise they would have been taken quite an adjustment to get used to. The dorms were much more welcoming and student-friendly. The dining hall looked as though it belonged in the home of a rich millionaire rather than a school, even if that school was a castle.

The girls went up to an enormous buffet table, then found an empty table to claim.

Mei Mei looked around at the other students, intrigued. She noted with interest the cliques that were beginning to form, particularly the one where Selen was. The group didn't look all that nice in her opinion. One of them caught her eye with a piercing stare. She sincerely hoped those other girls wouldn't be spending anytime in her dorm.

"Don't worry about it," Hikaru gave her a knowing glance. "People hardly ever spend any time in their dorm rooms, other than to sleep. That includes us. If we have to, we can always do our homework in the library or something."

"Exactly," Sophie nodded. "There's no point in stressing over something that can be fixed so easily. So we got some not so great roommates; at least we weren't completely split up."

"You're right," Mei Mei forced a smile. Still, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was off.

"Don't look now, but I think this place just got that much more interesting," Sophie's voice held a tinge of amusement." Mei Mei turned around to see what she was talking about.

Walking through the entryway, a large group of boys appeared.

"They must have just finished their tour," Madoka commented. "I heard they sent the boys to their dorms while the girls were on the tour earlier."

Mei Mei couldn't help but notice one of the boys, with flashy red-brown hair and dark eyes she couldn't quite identify the color of from where she sat. She wasn't the only one. Already, a small crowd of girls had started to gather around him. Mei Mei shook her head. She wasn't thinking. Sophie winked at her, noticing her interest. Mei Mei's face immediately started warming up.

"Maybe you'll have a class with him." Mei Mei pretended not to hear. Sophie laughed.

Meanwhile, the other two girls were distracted by a loud commotion. Five boys entered the room, all seemingly locked in an argument with one another. They didn't seem mad at one another, however, more like they had just known each other for a long time.

Hikaru gave them each a once over. "Green hair and white hair are the bad boys, red hair is the class clown, black hair is the troublemaker, and light blue hair is the weird one."

"What makes you say that?" Madoka asked.

"Just look at them."

Hikaru's quick analysis did appear to be somewhat accurate, but Madoka wasn't entirely convinced. The boy with white hair was hanging in the back with his arms folded, apparently bored with the whole situation. If Madoka hadn't just seen him arguing with the red-haired boy, she would have agreed one hundred percent. As it was, she really didn't know what to think of any of them. It was hard to tell from a single look across the room.

"Which one do you think is the cutest?" Hikaru whispered in her ear, causing her to jump slightly.

"I-I don't even know them!" Madoka squirmed uncomfortably.

Hikaru leaned back in her chair. "I'm thinking one of the bad boys. The weird one has some sort of charisma that sort of draws you to him, but he's not really my type."

"Well none of them are my type," Sophie wrinkled her nose. "They're all so immature, just look at them."

The other girls started laughing. Sophie looked at them.

"That's right, Sophie needs a _maaann,_ " Hikaru dragged out the word, giggling.

"Oh, stop, you know what I mean."

They finished eating, then headed up to their respective dorms. They had a full load of classes waiting for them bright and early tomorrow morning.

* * *

Sophie opened her eyes moments before the alarm went off. Madoka and Lera were still sleeping; that was fine by her. She wanted to look perfect for the first day, and waking up early was essential. First impressions were everything. She needed all the time she could get. Sophie grabbed her uniform and headed down to the girls' bathroom.

Showering gave her a few moments of peace to collect her thoughts. She'd been careful not to show it at dinner last night, but she was nervous about her classes. Not having any of her friends in the majority of them left her unsettled.

Sopphie forced herself to smile as she rinsed the shampoo her hair. She would be fine. The classes could not be that difficult, and, as they'd seen last night, there were definitely some cute guys at the school. She had that to look forward to. Putting Hikaru's comment from last night out of her mind, she considered the possibility that she might even find someone she liked.

Once she was out of the shower, she began applying her makeup. The uniform was even better than she'd initially hoped. It fit her perfectly, nothing like the baggy, unflattering sack she'd been expecting before they'd arrived. Her uniform was gold, the same as Mei Mei's.

She loved the way the shiny gold color was accented against the black. The bright color stood out, making the outfit look much lighter, even friendlier, than a simple black ensemble would have been. Sophie smiled at her reflection.

Brushing through her hair, she took one last moment to touch up her lip gloss. Something flashed behind her in the mirror. Sophie turned around.

Nobody was there.

Her eyebrows knit in confusion, trying to piece together what she had seen.

"Is someone in here?" she called, slightly uneasy.

Her ears perked up, listening for a sound. All was silent. Water could not be heard running from any of the showerheads.

Sophie peered around the bathroom stalls, even going so far as to peek beneath for any feet. Most of the curtains were open as it was. She was alone in the bathroom. It was still too early to expect many others to be awake. She'd set the alarm earlier than she typically would have to ensure she'd have plenty of time. Shaking her head, Sophie walked back over to the mirror.

A blip appeared again, this time a pale face visible for a fraction of a second. Sophie whirled around.

She was still by herself. No footsteps echoed around her.

Sophie opened her mouth to call out once more, but refrained at the last second. The door hadn't opened and she'd already confirmed no one else was in the room.

Her makeup was done. There was no need to stick around any longer.

Unnerved, Sophie grabbed her things and fled to the safety of her dorm.

Madoka was awake, but Lera was nowhere to be seen when she returned.

"Where'd she go to," Sophie gestured to the empty bed, sitting on her own and resuming brushing out her hair.

"I don't know," Madoka shook her head, yawning. "I just woke up a few minutes ago. The door was closing, so that must have been her leaving. She could have gone down to breakfast."

Sophie let out a sigh of relief. Maybe what had happened wasn't as frightening as she had been led to believe. In the stress of uprooting her life and moving to the boarding school, her imagination had merely been working overtime.

"I just had the weirdest experience in the bathroom. Or at least, I thought I did," Sophie rolled her eyes, explaining the events to Madoka. "The bathroom seemed empty, but I thought I saw someone in the mirror. It was probably Lera trying to scare me."

"I don't know…" Madoka didn't seem convinced.

"Well, what else would it have been?" Sophie grew impatient. Truthfully, the idea of considering other explanations freaked her out a little. "We all know the legends; there's no way you're the only one who looked them up before coming here. Lera obviously must have thought it would have been funny to freak us out. She's not happy rooming with us, if you couldn't already tell."

"I know that, it just seems a little extreme," Madoka conceded.

"Even if she isn't the one responsible, let's put this behind us," Sophie decided. "I probably imagined it or something. There's no way it was anything worth stressing over. I've got to finish getting ready. There's no point wasting any more time on this. We have a big day ahead of us."

Madoka was still curious, but let the subject drop. Sophie was right; they needed to focus on their classes.

There would be plenty of time to explore the mysteries of the school later.

Madoka found herself barely able to stay awake during creative writing, despite it being her first class and real introduction to school. It was too early, and the class couldn't hold her attention. The teacher droned on, something about the importance of characterization, but Madoka couldn't focus. She was too absorbed in the legends of Starlight Academy. What Sophie had told her that morning kept weighing on her mind.

Sophie may have been certain Lera had decided to take it upon herself to poke fun at her roommates, but Madoka wasn't quite inclined to agree with that conclusion. Lera hadn't been gone that long when Sophie had breathlessly run back into the room.

Madoka shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. If she kept this up, she'd never be able to keep her grades where they needed to be. It may have only been the first day, but she couldn't risk missing anything important.

A boy with fiery hair- the same one Hikaru had labeled as the class clown at dinner the previous night- burst into the room.

"Ah, Mr. Hagane. So nice of you to join us," the teacher said dryly.

"Hey, it's not my fault! I got lost, this place is huge!" The boy took a seat next to Madoka, the only one left in the class. Madoka took the opportunity to examine him a little closer while he was distracted.

His hair was out of control- held up by a blue headband that quite obviously broke the school's dress code, not that he seemed to care- and he had bright, golden brown eyes that Madoka felt herself being drawn toward. He took out a notebook and began doodling in it, ignoring the notes the teacher had written on the board. Madoka repressed a grin. Hikaru's guess may not have been all that far off.

Putting her attention back on the teacher, Madoka finally found herself able to focus and wrote down the notes.

"Now I know you've probably heard the stories of Starlight Academy," the teacher began. Madoka's head whipped up. "Legends such as these are started in a number of ways. While the ones concerning our academy are completely unfounded, this will give you a better chance both to understand the history of your new school and learn about the creative writing process. For this assignment, I want you to research one of the legends of the academy, and write your own creative piece based off of the legend. You can work with someone else to find your legend as there are quite a few to sort through, but you must hand in separate papers."

Madoka's mind started working. This was _perfect_. She'd be able to find out more about the academy, maybe even the real reason behind why it closed in the first place. If they were expected to write a paper about it, then it stood to reason being at the school she would have more access to the legends than those online. The teacher was already placing a few books on a table by the door for them to look through. Where better to find information than at the school itself?

The teacher claimed none of the legends were true, but of course she would say that. Why would she tell them that the rumors of a bunch of kids being killed by a ghost girl were true when chances were no one would ever actually believe it? Besides, the legends had to have started for some reason, just as the teacher had said.

Maybe she'd even find out something about the mysterious face Sophie had seen in the mirror that morning. Sure, she'd believed it was Lera, but Madoka hadn't been convinced. Lera may not have liked her roommates, but that didn't mean she was going to try to scare them. She wouldn't gain much from it.

Madoka was so engrossed in her thoughts she barely noticed someone poking her.

She turned, only to see the red haired boy smiling at her.

"I'm Gingka," he said energetically. "Wanna work on this together?"

Madoka took a quick glance around the room, and sure enough, everyone was already grouping up for the assignment. She didn't recognize anyone else in the class, other than Selen, and there was no way she'd be willing to work alongside Hikaru and Mei Mei's less than stellar roommate.

"Sure," she said. Having a second set of eyes would definitely help in her search. "I'm Madoka, by the way."

"Cool," Ginka nodded enthusiastically. "Do you know anything about the legends in this area?"

Madoka grinned. She still had an hour left of the ninety-minute class to begin her research.

* * *

When the bell rang for lunch, Hikaru bolted out of class. Geometry was definitely not her thing. She brushed her icy-colored hair out of her eyes, then took out her map, trying to remember the route to the dining hall. A portion of the map was blocked off as areas off-limits for reasons that had yet to be explained. Hikaru could only assume they hadn't been renovated to match the school's standards. The castle was huge, but the section that made up the school only occupied roughly two-thirds of it.

Hikaru spaced out, wondering what was in those areas students were prohibited from entering. Anything could be in an old castle like this. Old artifacts could have been stored in them so nobody would damage them.

A thought struck her. Would the school still have old weapons in it? Would it be considered wrong to take original cannons from here and bring them somewhere else? How authentic was the school at this point; how much had been modernized? Her mind raced.

Hikaru's attention snapped back to her growling stomach. She stared at the map, comparing her current location to where she needed to be.

It couldn't be too far, getting to her first class immediately after breakfast hadn't been all that difficult, so it must be around here somewhere-

Suddenly the map went flying out of her hands and she lost her footing altogether. She landed, not on the floor, but something else, breaking her fall. She pushed her hair back again.

"Can you not see?" A harsh, arrogant sounding voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I-"

Hikaru shifted on to the floor. One of the boys she had seen last night was on the ground next to her, scowling.

It was one of the "bad boys", the one with white hair, accented by a splotch of red in the front. His liquid gold eyes would have been pretty, attractive even, if they weren't so harsh.

Normally, Hikaru wouldn't have taken crap from anybody, but something about the boy caused Hikaru to draw back.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, quickly getting to her feet.

The boy's eyes flickered with something unidentifiable. "Just watch where you're going," he muttered.

Hikaru started away, eager to get both away from him and to lunch.

"Wait!"

Hikaru froze.

"Don't you want this?" The boy tossed the map she had dropped into the air. Hikaru caught it before it fluttered to the ground. When she looked up, the boy had disappeared.

Shaking her head, Hikaru looked at the map.

A few minutes later, she made it to the dining hall. Sophie and Mei Mei were there, waiting for her at their table from the previous night. Hikaru grabbed a plate of food and joined them.

"Where's Madoka?" Hikaru took her seat.

"No idea," Mei Mei shrugged. "We just got here."

A group of shrieking girls caught their attention. They turned around, unsure of what to expect then collectively groaned.

"Really?" Sophie muttered.

The same boy who had been surrounded by girls the previous night had entered the room, still surrounded by his harem. The boy had his arm wrapped around one of the girls.

"So the womanizer finally picked one?" Hikaru guessed.

"Hardly," Sophie scoffed. "His name is Chao Xin. He's in my speech class. He was with another girl this morning. She's just one girl in his long line of victims. You can bet by dinnertime he'll be all over another one." Mei Mei bit her lip.

"So how are your classes?" Hikaru poked at her sandwich, taking their attention back to their lunch.

"It's school," Sophie cracked a smile. "You know how it is. Speech is boring and nobody wants to do it, biology involves cutting open dead frogs…"

"Can we please not talk about dead frogs while we're eating?" Mei Mei laughed.

"There aren't even any cute guys in my classes," Sophie sighed. "Talk about a let down. A fancy boarding school and I can't even find one guy."

"Oh?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "No 'men' to capture your heart?" She made air quotes, smiling sneakily.

Sophie turned scarlet. "Would you stop it with that?"

"I would, but it's just too much fun."

"What about you, then?" Sophie challenged. "Have _you_ found any guys here?"

Hikaru's stomach churned, remembering her encounter less than ten minutes ago. That boy had been rude, yet for some reason she'd found herself drawn to him. There was something about him. What had she seen in his eyes for a split second? Who was he?

Before Hikaru had a chance to respond, Madoka appeared, placing a large pile of books on the table.

"What the- Madoka, you've had _two_ classes. Pray tell why you have _five_ books with you," Sophie moved her sandwich out of the way.

"I have an assignment on the legends on Starlight Academy," the other girl responded, slightly out of breath.

"And you need five books?!"

"I want to find out as much as I can," Madoka defended. "There's way more information here than what I could find on the internet back on the train."

Lunch continued in that way, with the four girls bickering back and forth. Hikaru rolled her eyes, smiling, but as lunch drew to a close she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to that strange boy she had met.

There was more to him than met the eye, and Hikaru intended to find out what.


	3. Welcome to the Family

**Early update as promised! I have zero time this weekend, so this is my only chance to post. To SailorCandy, Guest, Guest, and Guest, thank you all for your reviews :D. Guest 2, light blue hair guy is actually Hyoma, his hair is such a bizarre color that I couldn't come up with a sufficient way to describe it. Originally when I started this, HyomaxHikaru was a fairly popular ship among some writers (though idk if there's many fics out there with them), and I'd considered pairing them, which is why he's in here at all.**

 **Actual shippings for this story are Fireandwater, Galaxy, China, and Whales. Chapter t** **itle is "Welcome to the Family" by Avenged Sevenfold. It's so hard to find a song that matches these early chapters, I'm not sure why I ever did this to myself.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

The rest of the first official school day passed by without incident. Sophie cleared her thoughts as she walked to her astrology/astronomy class. The other girls were supposed to be taking the class at the same time, thankfully. At least they had one class all together, even if it was an odd one that would be out of place at any other school. The past three classes had dragged on without anyone to talk to.

Madoka was already in the room, flipping through a book. Sophie stifled a laugh. It looked like Madoka had added yet another title to her already absurd pile. She was thankful they weren't sharing their room with Selen, otherwise they'd have nowhere to put all the books. As it was, they were going to take up a lot of space, much more than was available on a single desk.

"Find anything interesting?" Sophie sat next to her. Madoka looked up, and Sophie was surprised to see that the other girl appeared frustrated.

"Hardly," Madoka said, irritated. "It took forever to find these books in the first place, and now they have nothing. It's the same thing over and over, mostly legal details that aren't even relevant. Nothing about legends. I don't know why this was ever assigned; the teacher should know there isn't anything out there."

"It's called Google," Hikaru slid into a seat next to them. "And why would they have anything suspicious here? They wouldn't want anything that could threaten their image. Starlight Academy is reopening- why would they want something that could cause issues kept here? They have to act like everything's perfect. That's probably the real reason it was assigned- to prove there _isn't_ anything wrong with the school."

"You're probably right," Madoka shut the book. "I was just hoping I could find something a little different than what was online. You know, something a little more accurate or relevant. A lot of what's online is just guesswork or completely made up."

"Just do your paper on the vampire legend. That should be easy enough," Sophie decided.

"I might, just so it's done and over with. But I still want to know more," Madoka frowned. Mei Mei came into the room and the girls waved her over.

"Then get looking!" Hikaru told her.

"Huh?"

Hikaru waved her hands around. "You're at Starlight Academy- where better to learn about it? When you have free time, explore the area. Forget about the books."

"Take someone with you," Mei Mei added, joining the conversation. "It's easy to get lost in this place."

"Good point," Madoka said happily. "I'll do that after dinner if I don't have too much homework."

"Hey, Madoka!"A blur whirled into the empty seat next to her.

"Oh, hi, Gingka," Madoka seemed surprised.

"Do you know what we're doing for the legend?" he asked.

"Not yet," Madoka confessed. "But I'll figure it out soon. I have a couple ideas we may be able to work with."

"I'll keep looking, too!"

The other girls eyed him curiously, then turned to Madoka. She nodded, silently promising to explain everything to them later.

Just then, four other boys swept into the room. Gingka brightened, then called them over. Sophie recognized them as the ones he had been with last night when they'd first entered the dining hall. She hoped they wouldn't be as loud as they had been the last time she'd seen them together, or she'd seriously consider changing seats. Gingka by himself didn't seem too bad, but the five of them together in the same class… The last thing she wanted was to get caught up in the midst of their chaos.

Hikaru stiffened as the boy she'd crashed into sat near her. Briefly, she wished her hair was longer, so she could hide behind it, at least long enough to collect her thoughts. She wasn't sure if she should say anything, or if it was better to act as though she'd never seen him in her life. Fortunately, the boy had yet to notice her.

"This is Masamune, Kyoya, Hyoma, and Ryuga," Gingka introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Madoka smiled. "This is Sophie, Mei Mei, and Hikaru." The other girls waved amicably as she introduced them, but Hikaru found herself barely able to look at them. She struggled to paste on what she hoped was a friendly smile. Ryuga, the white-haired one, was now looking at her. She was positive he recognized her from the encounter, but he said nothing.

Hikaru turned away, right as the teacher entered the classroom. She was thankful for the sudden distraction. While the teacher did her own introductions, Hikaru sneaked a peek at Ryuga. He looked bored, staring out the window.

He suddenly turned his head, and caught Hikaru looking at him. She felt her cheeks grow red as she turned to face the front, but he simply stared back.

Hikaru took a notebook out of her bag, opened to a fresh page, and jotted down the date. The other girls sat rapt with attention. Gingka was looking at Madoka again, Hikaru noted with interest.

She leaned back in her seat, ready to endure the last class of the day.

"In this class, we will both be studying astrology and astronomy, but there will be a heavier focus on astrology. We will pay attention to the movement of the stars and how they affect…" As the teacher continued, Hikaru tuned her out. The class _did_ seem interesting, even if it was proving to be a bit more complex than expected, but Hikaru had no idea what she was talking about. Besides, other things were weighing on her mind. Namely, a particular person.

Ryuga confused her. Something about him scared her- that felt weird to admit- but at the same time it made her want to learn more. Hikaru had always been headstrong, ready to take on any challenge yet for some reason he made her shrink back like a scared little girl. She didn't even know him! Hikaru shook her head. He just had a strong presence, that was all. He was intimidating. She'd dealt with people like him before. She could do it again no problem.

For the time being, she could just ignore him. If something further happened between them, well, she'd have to deal with it then. It was nothing she couldn't handle. Letting him perturb her any longer wasn't worth it. There were other matters that were way more important.

That didn't stop her from glancing back several times throughout the remainder of the class as her curiosity continued to get the better of her.

* * *

Madoka stepped out of the room, eager to finally be done with her classes for the day. The girls planned to make a quick stop at their dorm rooms before exploring the grounds.

Lera was already in the room when Sophie and Madoka got back. She was next to the window, bent over near Sophie's things.

"Oh!" She straightened up suddenly, then smiled at the girls. "Hi!"

"Hi," Sophie said, an edge in her voice. "What's up?"

"Not much," Lera said. "I was just checking out the view. Is that a lake?"

"Yeah," Sophie's voice was still guarded, unsure of the new friendly persona Lera was now employing. "Why were you near my stuff?"

"Huh?" Lera didn't seem thrown at all. "I wasn't doing anything. Just looking at the window."

"Uh huh," Sophie said, unconvinced.

"Look, you guys can team up against me all you want," Lera said, annoyed, the perky façade slowly fading.

"We're not against you," Madoka intervened before the conversation could escalate. "It's just that you have a window next to your bed, with practically the same view, but you were over near Sophie's stuff."

"Whatever," Lera sneered, and Madoka was taken aback by the sudden change in her personality. "It's not like it matters. You two have been against me from the beginning. Blaming me for you seeing things in the mirror, Sophie? What kind of roommate are you? You don't even know me. None of you do." Lera laughed, then walked out the room.

Sophie and Madoka stared at each other.

"What was that about?" Madoka asked.

Sophie blinked. "I have no idea, but how did she-" Sophie shook her head. She went over to her bed, then started going through one of her bags. "Never mind. She must have come back to the room this morning and overheard us talking when I came back from the bathroom. It doesn't look like anything's missing. Let's get going."

Madoka worriedly looked over at the door Lera had exited through. Something was definitely going on with their roommate. She shuddered at the thought of having to spend the night in the room when the other girl clearly did not have a good opinion of them.

Lera could have easily addressed the matter less maliciously. Madoka had to admit that it might have been in poor taste for Sophie to immediately accuse Lera of being the one to scare her in the bathroom, but the three of them may have been able to talk it through less aggressively. The last thing Madoka wanted was any bad blood.

Sophie gripped her arm, pulling her out of her inner thoughts and dragging her from the room.

There was a lot of yelling coming from the dorm Hikaru and Mei Mei were sharing. Not wanting to get involved, Madoka and Sophie stayed outside. The other girls emerged a few minutes later, Mei Mei looking disheveled and Hikaru positively irate.

"What happened?" Sophie asked.

"Let's not go into it," Hikaru said grimly. "I want to get outside before I lose my mind in this place."

With that, the girls headed out, making their way down to the main floor before leaving out the large entryway. It was still light outside, and several other students were taking advantage of the fresh air. Many sat on the grass, doing homework while others were busy walking around.

Outside, on the grounds, it felt more like they were on the quad of a college campus than a boarding school. One look at the only building was all it took to shatter that illusion.

The castle was more imposing up front as it shot up high above them, and Madoka found herself mentally tracing the patterns the vines made as they crawled up the walls. The castle was enormous; she had no idea where they were with respect to the inside. Each window was dark. As they made their way to their destination, the number of other students gradually decreased until they were on their own.

Madoka was glad they didn't have to go through the woods. For the most part, the school was surrounded by them, the trees appearing more forbidding than should be natural. Ancient, gnarled tree roots stuck out in front of them as thick, winding branches ended in narrow points.

Putting those thoughts out of her mind, Madoka carefully made her way over the rocks, tree branches, and dirt mounds littering the ground. She thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she looked, nothing was there. It was probably just her imagination.

That brought her attention back to the morning's events. Had Lera been the face Sophie had seen in the mirror? She'd definitely acted strangely when they returned after classes, especially with her abrupt exit. All the same, she'd argued she wasn't responsible for what Sophie had experienced. Still, that didn't change the fact that Lera had been in Sophie's things for no reason when they'd gotten back. Madoka had thought they were making headway or at least would come to some sort of consensus with Lera, but that didn't seem like it would happen anymore. Lera had an issue with them, whatever it was, and it wasn't going to be that easy to get past it.

Trying to bring herself back to easier thoughts, Madoka focused on her homework. She had less than she'd anticipated, thankfully, but the creative writing project was going to take up more of her time than she'd thought. After dinner, she would take Hikaru's advice and explore the castle a little bit more, but she really didn't expect to find that much.

If there was something, any trace of it had probably been wiped away, or at the very least was blocked off to students.

Then again… With all the confusion of the castle's layout and the newness of school, now was the best time to get "lost"…

"Here it is," Sophie's voice brought her back to reality.

The lake was directly in front of them. It seemed even more ominous up close, the dark waters hiding something beneath the surface. Narrow, dark-colored weeds jutted up to meet algae suspended in the water above them. The hazy fog stretched across the lake, with no end in sight.

"It's creepy here," Mei Mei commented.

"I feel something…" Hikaru murmured. "We shouldn't be here."

Madoka felt it, too, like something was watching them, waiting for them to make a move. The water was unnaturally still, the sandy area in front of it lifeless. All around, it was dead silent. She hoped a fish might break the surface, anything to disturb the unnerving quiet, but no such thing happened.

In the distance, they could see what looked like a small island through the fog. There was a rocky formation on it, and what looked like a half-sunken fishing boat peeking through the water's surface. Something about it was unsettling.

On the water's edge next to them, there was a pathway leading up to a small cliff. If the scenery wasn't obscured by so much fog, it would have been tempting to see what the view was from the cliff. As it was, the thick fog rolled over everything, coming ever closer toward the girls.

The fog began to surround them, mist making it difficult to see a few feet in front of them. The murky lake was slowly swallowed up from sight in the haze. Madoka took a few steps back, noticing the other girls did the same.

"Let's go," Sophie's voice was anxious. "We came to check it out, and there's nothing here. We need to go."

Without missing a beat, the girls turned back and ran towards the school, not noticing the shadowy figure emerging from a nearby rocky cave watching them.

Mei Mei was thankful when the lake was finally out of view once they were safely inside. As they made it to the dining hall, she found it difficult to believe that they'd been at the academy a day already. In some ways, it felt shorter, but at the same time, it felt as though it had been much longer.

After dinner, Mei Mei split off from the other girls, intending to go to the library. She needed a book for her history class. She'd half-expected Madoka would come with her in search of yet another book for her project, only she was preoccupied with something else.

The library was just as large and ornate as the rest of the castle. Golden columns shot to the ceiling, carved in a style reminiscent of ancient Greek temples she'd seen in pictures. From where she stood, she could barely see the back of the room as row after row of bookshelves jumped up in front of her.

Mei Mei walked past tables of students already wrapped up in mounds of homework. The fairytale image of the school was rapidly fading as she thought about her own assignments waiting for her back in the dorm. She had no idea where to start looking for her required reading, but one of the librarians quickly sent her in the right direction. She walked to the back of the room, fortunately finding the book on one of the lower shelves. As she was about to leave, she caught a noticed a small path leading off to the side. She hadn't been able to see it when she'd first entered the library.

Mei Mei followed it, finding herself surrounded by more shelves in a small room set apart from the main section of the room. The area was roped off by a velvet stanchion, but Mei Mei ignored it, pushing the rope aside. She placed it back where it belonged, before exploring the shelves.

The books were old, and covered in dust. She opened one, noting the publication date. She checked another one, confirming her suspicions. The books were over one hundred years old, probably ones that had been there since Starlight Academy was originally opened.

Mei Mei placed the history book down, and began flipping through one of the older books. She didn't quite understand what it was about, but she kept looking nonetheless, interested by her find. Holding such an old book was mesmerizing. She half expected it to fall apart in her hands, the binding was so weak.

"You're not supposed to be back here, you know."

Mei Mei nearly dropped the book. She whirled around, then scowled, finding herself face to face with Chao Xin. His harem of females that was constantly swarming him everywhere he went was nowhere to be seen.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you," he replied with a smile. "Exploring."

"I- what do you mean?" Mei Mei asked.

He gestured around the small room. "You're checking this place out, right? Want some help?" His eyes sparkled.

Mei Mei grabbed her book and brushed past him. "No, thank you. Where's your group of girls anyway? Shouldn't they be hanging on your every word?"

Chao Xin flashed a smile. "I ditched them. It's not conducive to walk around forbidden areas with a bunch of shrieking girls, is it? A little too conspicuous, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't know," Mei Mei responded, heading back to the main part of the library.

Chao Xin blocked her path. "Hey, what's with that attitude?"

Mei Mei felt her face growing warm. "Let me go."

Two voices interrupted them before either of them could make a movement. Mei Mei's eyes widened. It was the librarians! If she got caught back here, she was going to be in a lot of trouble.

Without warning, Chao Xin grabbed her, and dragged her behind a shelf, putting a finger to his lips.

"That's strange," one of the librarians said. "I thought I heard voices back here."

"I told you, you must've imagined it. I didn't see anyone come back here. Besides, it's blocked off." With that, the two librarians went back to the front.

Mei Mei wriggled free of Chao Xin's grasp. "What are you doing?" she whispered angrily.

"Would you rather they had caught you?"

"No, but at least warn me before you do something like that?"

"You mean like this?" Chao Xin leaned down suddenly, playfully kissing her on the cheek. Mei Mei froze where she stood. "I've got to get back before my 'group of girls' notices I'm missing. Until then, I'll see you around."

Chao Xin left Mei Mei alone in the room, holding the book in one hand and feeling more confused than ever.

He was a womanizer, she reminded herself. Sophie had said so at lunch. He probably did that kind of thing all the time without a second thought, and girls fell all over him for it. Whatever had just happened, it didn't mean anything and she should _not_ waste any time thinking about it.

Once she finally made it back to her hallway, she noticed a large crowd. Upon closer inspection, she realized a group of people was standing outside Madoka and Sophie's room.

"What's going on?" Sophie was suddenly at her side. "Hey, isn't that my room?"

"I think so."

"Well this doesn't look good," Sophie murmured. She pushed her way through the crowd, with Mei Mei following close behind. "Coming through!"

On the ground lay Lera, her eyes closed with red blood sliding down her cheek. Blood still poured in a steady stream from the wound on her forehead, not yet dry. A girl jumped up and took several steps back, leaving a towel soaked in blood on the floor from attempting to apply pressure to the still-bleeding cut in hopes of staunching it without any luck.

"What the-" Hikaru and Madoka caught up to them.

Lera looked peaceful, almost as if she was sleeping, other than the marks, scrapes, and blood covering her body. Madoka was at her side instantly, trying to wake the girl.

"Somebody get help!" Madoka cried.

A few of the girls scattered, but most stood paralyzed, watching. The girl who had tried to help Lera looked on in horror. Hikaru bent down to Lera's side and listened.

"She's not breathing," Hikaru whispered to her friends, but regardless a few other girls heard her.

"It's the curse!" One cried out.


	4. Danse Macabre

**Taking the opportunity to respond to reviews this time :) Guest- Agreed, Hyoma becomes wayyy too forgettable. He's relevant for like five** **episodes then vanishes. SailorCandy- Omg, Lera. I've started rewatching Metal Masters (confession, never actually finished Metal Fury, hoping to get through that ASAP) and Lera's character annoyed me so much, to the point where I kind of don't feel too bad that she's never really portrayed in a great light in any of my stories. Hidden Jewels- Glad you guys are liking this so far and view it as an improvement! Constructive criticism is always appreciated, thanks for letting me know what you think :D skycold- When I first started in this fandom, I was reading a lot of Pokemon fics that focused on four of the main female characters, and I really wanted to do that with MFB, because like you said, the girls don't get as much attention as they could. So happy you like the way this is going!**

 **Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Chapter song is "Danse Macabre" by the Agonist.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

"Curse?" Sophie raised her eyebrows.

Several others were looking around in confusion in response to the word had been uttered, while others shrieked and cried out. Two girls went running down the hall. The rest remained rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear at the sight before them.

Immediately, several teachers came rushing over to see what was causing the commotion. One of them gasped in shock, while another told the girls to remain calm and tried to get them to disperse to their own dorms. Further chaos exploded around them as girls went running in every direction, some of them in total silence while others repeatedly glanced behind them. Hushed whispers permeated the hallway. Sophie and Madoka watched on, unsure of what to do.

A stretcher was brought out for Lera. Teachers tried to block the view as she was placed on it.

"Don't worry, she's fine!" a teacher called. They left in a rush, taking Lera with them and leaving an uncomfortable feeling in the hallway. Several girls who had remained at the scene shifted, still processing everything, while others did as they had been told and slinked back to their dorms.

Not wanting to deal with their own roommate in the middle of this mess, Hikaru and Mei Mei followed Sophie and Madoka into their room.

"I don't know who they were trying to kid," Hikaru's voice was almost a whisper. "Lera was not _okay_. She's not coming back."

Sophie put on a brave smile, but it was forced. "I'm sure everything will be fine. There's probably an explanation for all of this. The teachers will let us know as soon as they can. They won't want to place any unnecessary stress on us and risk the school's reputation."

"I suppose you're right, but Lera looked like she'd been attacked, not like she'd come down with a life-threatening illness," Hikaru frowned. "What did that girl mean by 'the curse'?"

"She's in my creative writing class. Maybe she found something while looking up legends," Madoka said thoughtfully. "In any case, it gives me something else to look into."

"Be careful," Mei Mei advised. "Something weird is going on here."

"I will," Madoka nodded. "If I do go exploring, I'll bring Gingka with me. It'll be safer to have a second person."

"Speaking of, what's the story with him?" Sophie asked, looking interested.

The topic shifted, back to boys and other safe things, with the mysteries of the school and the bloodied and battered roommate pushed to the back of their minds.

They griped about homework, laughed about first day antics, and debated the best way to handle Selen. From the outside, things seemed completely normal.

Hikaru and Mei Mei had opted to sleep on the floor of the dorm Madoka and Sophie shared for the night, rather than to deal with Selen, especially after what had happened earlier. The girls pooled together all the blankets and pillows they could to make the arrangements as comfortable as possible. They could almost imagine they were back at home having a sleepover if not for the empty bed in the corner that cast a sinister air over their happy evening.

By ten, they had finished up the homework due on the next purple day and decided to call it a night. The lights were flicked off.

Unable to contain her interest any longer, Madoka sneaked out of the room. Madoka tiptoed around Hikaru and Mei Mei's sleeping forms quietly, then carefully shut the door.

The corridor was deathly quiet, uncomfortably so. Still, Madoka knew her best chance of finding anything was to take this opportunity. It was unlikely any teachers would be around, and if they were, Madoka was certain she'd hear them before they could catch her.

Madoka had promised her friends she would take another person with her if she went out in the castle, but the desire to check out the castle was eating her alive. There was no way she'd be able to sleep until she got it out of her system.

The only thing to figure out now, though, was where to start.

Although she doubted she would find anything, Madoka wanted to check out the girls' bathroom where Sophie had seen the face in the mirror early in the morning. So far, that was all she had to go off of. She could check it during the day, but then she'd have to deal with girls constantly coming and going. The less distractions, the better.

The bathroom was eerie in the darkness, even after Madoka flipped on the lights. Her footsteps echoed softly across the tile floor as she made her way over to the sinks.

Uncertain, she began examining the sinks, checking out the mirror. What was she even looking for? Madoka felt a little silly. She'd escaped her room unnoticed in the middle of the night, only to explore an empty bathroom. She'd come here on a whim, when it was highly unlikely she'd find anything.

Bending down to inspect the plumbing, she noticed a small piece of paper stuck to the bottom of the sink. Madoka pulled it off, then straightened back up.

Just for a moment, there was a flash, a face in the mirror.

Madoka stumbled backwards, covering her mouth to stifle a gasp. She caught herself on one of the stall doors. The paper slipped from her hand, fluttering to the ground.

At first, she'd thought it was Lera. As the memory of the image burned into her head, she realized the deduction wasn't entirely correct. The blue eyes she'd seen were similar to Lera's, but much clearer, like a shallow pool. The hair hadn't been right, either. Madoka stood frozen, unsure of what she had just witnessed.

Sophie was right. There was definitely something weird going on in this bathroom. Madoka spun around quickly, seeing no one, then faced the mirror once more.

It couldn't have been Lera, of that much she was certain. Not only was the girl… out of commission, but the girl in the mirror had looked different. Not too different, but just enough for Madoka to question if it really could have been her. Madoka wished the face had been there longer so she could have gotten a better glimpse.

Footsteps echoed from the back of the room, coming out of one of the stalls. Madoka tensed. She shouldn't be there.

More than that, Madoka had made sure no one else was in the bathroom when she'd entered. Getting caught in the middle of the night while searching the bathroom would be a little embarrassing, not to mention potentially difficult to explain depending on who found her. She had checked all the stalls for feet before looking around the sinks. It was impossible for someone to have gotten past her.

Before she had a chance to figure out who it might be, or give them the chance to see her, Madoka ran out of the bathroom, and back down the hallway. She didn't stop until she'd made it back to her room, breathing heavily.

The others girls were awake, staring at her.

"Where were you?" Hikaru asked sleepily. "We were about to go looking for you."

"J-just the bathroom," Madoka kept her voice level.

"Are you okay?" Mei Mei asked.

"Yeah," Madoka nodded. "It's a little creepy out there in the dark, that's all."

"What did you see, a face in the mirror?" Sophie gave her a smile, one that faltered when she saw the look on Madoka's face. "Oh my god, you did, didn't you?"

"Can we talk about this in the morning?" Madoka sighed. As much as she wanted to keep exploring, she was out of options.

It was too spooky to go back out there, especially into areas she didn't know anything about. The bathroom was bad enough and it shouldn't have been scary in the least. She'd been there earlier during the day, and it hadn't been the slightest bit frightening while crowded with students, even with the knowledge of what Sophie had seen. Madoka shivered at the thought of what else could be waiting for her out there.

Through the window, silver moonlight fell on the lake, still hidden beneath a layer of thick fog. Within the fog, a wispy figure danced, vanishing in and out of sight.

* * *

Mei Mei opened her eyes to an unfamiliar sight before realizing she was still in Sophie and Madoka's room, lying comfortably on the floor atop a mess of blankets. Sophie and Hikaru were already awake, busy preparing for the day. Madoka was sleeping, looking unusually pale.

"Is she okay?" Mei Mei gestured toward her.

Sophie was leaned over a mirror, touching up her mascara. Sophie looked over. "I think so. She looked kind of shaken when she came into the room last night, so it's probably from that."

Mei Mei started getting ready. Her schoolbag was in her own dorm, so she'd have to stop on the way to breakfast. She dreaded another encounter with Selen, but when she opened the door, the other girl was nowhere to be seen.

Mei Mei snatched the bag up, then went to breakfast with the others.

Her first class for the day was psychology. She was running late, after having to run back to the dining hall upon realizing she'd left her phone behind. Fortunately, it was still waiting for her on the table in the exact spot where she'd left it. Cursing her forgetfulness, she ran through the hallway as quickly as she could. The hall was almost empty, classes having already started five minutes ago.

Mei Mei got to the door and reached for the handle just as someone else did the same. Their hands brushed against each other. Mei Mei looked up, blinking, then scowled as she discovered who it was.

"What are you doing here?"

"Going to class," Chao Xin said, amused. "Same as you."

Mei Mei reached for the door again, but he stopped her.

"It looks like they've already started," Chao Xin looked through the window into the classroom. "We shouldn't bother them."

"What are you-" Mei Mei was cut off by his response.

"There's nothing wrong with missing class," he flashed a smile. "We can say we got lost when they ask next time. No one will have a problem with that."

"Maybe for you," Mei Mei said, trying to break past him.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Mei Mei's voice was guarded. "I just don't want to become one of those silly girls with no brain always hanging around you."

Chao Xin's smile broadened. "You really don't think much of me, do you?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Before Mei Mei knew what was happening, Chao Xin took her by the arm and walked her down the hallway.

"H-Hey!"

"This is a perfect chance to get to know each other better," he said cheerfully, waving to a girl as he passed. The girl practically melted where she stood.

Mei Mei broke free. Chao Xin didn't have much of a grip on her. At least she knew she was free to walk away if she wanted. "I don't agree." She crossed her arms, standing up against the wall.

Chao Xin leaned toward her, resting his arm on the wall. "C'mon. Live a little."

Mei Mei checked her phone. It was now ten minutes into class. There was still plenty of time left, but… At this point, she really didn't feel like walking in late. She would be a disruption for sure. Besides, there couldn't be that much she would miss from the first class, right? None of her classes yesterday had started on anything groundbreaking.

"Fine," she relented.

Against her better judgment, Mei Mei followed him through the hall. They turned right down a different corridor, then left; after a point, she couldn't keep track at all of where they were going, and finally resigned herself to keeping up with him, letting her mind wander freely. Every hall they went down, there seemed to be some girl he knew, or one that was part of his constant harem. He waved to them, but hardly paid them any more attention. More than one girl shot daggers with their eyes at Mei Mei.

There was no way she was making the right decision. If looks could kill, Mei Mei was positive she wouldn't still be walking.

A few of the girls tried to tail after them, but Chao Xin convinced them to leave him alone by promising to talk later. Mei Mei had to marvel at the way he commanded their attention and easily got them to do whatever he asked.

Mei Mei followed him out of the castle. As they walked, the path suddenly became clear to her. She had only been there once before, but already the trees were familiar to her. She stopped.

"What's up?" Chao Xin turned back to look at her.

"I don't want to go there."

"The lake?" Chao Xin's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What's so bad about it?"

"Let's-let's just no, okay? We shouldn't be here. It's weird," Mei Mei felt herself growing anxious.

The memory of standing at the water's edge last night swirled around her. Something had undoubtedly been off about it as the fog drew ever closer to them. She took a step back. The only thing she cared about was putting as much as space between her and that particular body of water as possible.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now can we please go?"

Confused, Chao Xin did as she asked. "Then where do you want to go?"

"I don't care." _Anywhere but that lake._

It didn't take them long to retrace their steps back to the school. Mei Mei felt tense, no matter how far away they moved from the water. Its unnerving presence seemed to be everywhere.

The castle door was only feet away, but the sudden entrance of new voices alerted them that they weren't the only ones outside the walls. Chao Xin pulled her down into some shrubbery, amid her protests, as a group of teachers walked by.

"Everything will be fine," one of the teachers said. "As long as none of this gets out to the students, or to their parents, there is nothing to worry about."

"That's Headmistress Celestia," Mei Mei whispered, realization dawning on her. Chao Xin covered her mouth with his hand. She glared at him reproachfully, but he held her gaze steady, not moving his hand.

"How can you say that?" Another member said loudly. "It's barely been a day, and a student is already dead!" Mei Mei's eyes widened.

"Keep your voice down," Headmistress Celestia said serenely. "As of this moment, there is nothing connecting the death of the young girl to the school. It may still have been of natural causes. Until then, operations shall continue as normal."

The argument continued, but Chao Xin and Mei Mei were unable to hear any more as the teachers walked away.

Mei Mei wriggled free of Chao Xin's grasp and out of the greenery, too upset to lash out at him.

"So she really is dead," Mei Mei said softly. Chao Xin was at her side.

"What happened? What were they talking about?"

Mei Mei took a deep breath. "She was roommates with two of my friends. Last night, we found her outside the dorm room. She-she wasn't breathing, but I- I didn't think…" Mei Mei trailed off, taking another breath. "There is no way she died of natural causes. She had a huge bloody welt on her forehead."

Chao Xin stopped her. "It's okay, I understand. I'm sorry I dragged you out here in the first place. You should've gone to class."

"No," Mei Mei shook her head, surprising herself by agreeing with him. "I knew she was… dead. It was easy to face not knowing for sure, I guess. At least then I could pretend everything was okay."

Mei Mei looked at the castle, unsure now more than ever. The castle didn't seem as welcoming as it had only a day ago. She allowed herself to accept a hug from Chao Xin, unsure if she would be able to hold herself up otherwise.

Starlight Academy was already becoming much different than the dream boarding school she'd been led to believe it was.

* * *

Sophie stared out the window. Mei Mei hadn't shown up to psychology, which was concerning, but Sophie was sure she had a reason for it. The last she'd seen her Mei Mei was making a mad dash back to the dining hall to retrieve her forgotten phone.

Through her boredom, she'd noticed an attractive male sitting across the room from her. So far, he was the only thing making the class worthwhile. If Mei Mei had been there, at least Sophie would have had someone to talk to. As it was, she was completely on her own.

The boy had vibrant orange hair covering one of his blue eyes. Sophie was intrigued by him; something about him was different from the other boys she had come across at the school. For starters, he didn't present himself as immature or another playboy. His name was Wales, she'd learned that when the teacher had done attendance. Sophie made a mental note to pay closer attention to him if she had the chance.

Still, her mind was distracted by her friend's absence. Her mind was throwing all sorts of wild fantasies at her, not helped by the discovery of Lera the previous night. Sophie shuddered, trying to repress the thought. Mei Mei was fine. She had to be.

It hadn't been that long since she'd seen Mei Mei. She was stressing herself out for no reason. After all, it wasn't as though anything would happen in the middle of the day with people out everywhere she looked.

Unable to take the suspense, Sophie excused herself, claiming she felt ill, and left the class. Mei Mei _had_ to be around somewhere.

Sophie started down the hallway, with no intention of going to the nurse's office, not that she even knew where it was to begin with. The majority of the tour two days ago had been lost on her as it had been with the majority of the students. The school was simply too big to keep track of every little detail. She had the map if she really needed it, but Sophie couldn't recall whether it was crushed at the bottom of her bag beneath notebooks or somewhere in the dorm.

Her first stop was Mei Mei's dorm room. The door was partially opened. Sophie knocked quickly to announce her presence. Assuming Mei Mei, or at the very least Selen, was inside, she pushed it open further.

The room was a complete disaster. Clothing had been tossed aside, everything absolutely ransacked. Sophie stood in the doorway in shock.

Books lay spread on the floor, narrowly peeking out from blankets that had been tossed off the beds. A glass picture frame had been smashed to pieces, making it difficult to see the photograph beneath it. One of the mattresses was half-on its bed frame.

One of the chairs was toppled over. Sophie carefully stepped inside in hopes of getting a clearer picture. She narrowly made her way around the glass littering the floor.

None of the three occupants were present in the room. Selen's things had been thrown aside as well, leading Sophie to believe that she hadn't been the one to create the mess. Who had broken into their room? Did any of the girls know about this? Sophie backed away, leaving the door slightly ajar as she had found it.

The bathroom, she decided grimly, was her next stop. She hadn't seen the face or anything else unusual since yesterday morning, but Madoka's late night encounter had left her feeling uneasy. Especially since there wasn't any chance that it had been Lera trying to frighten her, at least not the second time…

Putting the thought behind her, Sophie stepped into the bathroom. It was empty, just as expected with the school day already started, but she'd still pointedly kept her attention away from the mirror.

A soft noise caught her attention. At first she'd thought it was her imagination, her nerves going haywire. Then she heard it again.

Someone was laughing.

Convinced the sound was definitely coming from the bathroom, Sophie ran out, then took the first flight of stairs to the bottom floor she found.

She paused, catching her breath, not noticing the shadowy figure approaching her.

"This isn't where you're supposed to be, is it?"

Sophie's head shot up, and she found herself face-to-face with Wales, the boy from psychology.

"What are you doing?" She held her head up resolutely. "Class isn't over yet."

"The teacher sent me to make sure you made it okay," Wales sounded bored.

Before Sophie had a chance to respond, a strange sound came from one of the hallways jutting off to the side. She frowned.

Wales seemed to have heard it, too. He started walking toward it.

"W-wait!"

He turned around. "Why? What do you think's down there?"

Sophie opened her mouth, then closed it. She had nothing to say, resigned to following him into the dim corridor.


	5. Dark Wings

**Happy Friday! Thank you SailorCandy for reviewing last chapter :) Updates will continue to be every 1-2 weeks as they've been. For those of you who read _A Team Star Breaker Thanksgiving_ and liked it, I have good news; I'll be working on a holiday collection for them. Chapter song this time is "Dark Wings" by Within Temptation. Thanks for reading!**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

She couldn't wrap her head around what she was seeing.

Wales had instinctively, instantaneously blocked the sight from her view, obstructing the scene by standing in front of her, but it was too late. The image was already burned into her mind.

Selen was lying on the ground, in worse condition than Lera had been. Her neck was twisted at an awkward angle, and her empty, glazed-over eyes stared up lifelessly at the ceiling. The girl's left arm was outstretched, reaching towards the wall as it lay limp. The nails on her hand were ragged, as though she'd been clawing at something. A puddle of blood had pooled out around her, oozing from a deep gash near her lungs, leaving her uniform torn. The blood seeped up toward her head, making her dark hair sticky. No matter how much Sophie tried to push the image away, she couldn't. She would never be able to erase it.

Unlike Lera, where they could have pretended she was still alive if they hadn't inspected her too closely, Selen was quite blatantly no longer a member of the living. Her contorted body couldn't have made it any more obvious.

Sophie brushed past Wales, kneeling at the dead girl's side. Swallowing hard, she took in the morbid sight, reality hitting her hard. Her stomach was churning horribly.

"That- that's two," she said shakily.

Sophie tried to stand up, but her legs gave way almost immediately. Wales caught her just as she fell to the floor.

"Two? What do you-"

"Another girl was found dead outside the dorms last night," Sophie explained softly. "No one knew what had happened. The teachers tried to act like she was still alive, but…" Sophie's voice trailed off, evolving into shaky, broken sobs as Wales helped her to her feet. "We all knew she wasn't." Sophie intentionally left out the part about Lera being her roommate.

Wales looked on at Selen's body, as if unsure of what to do.

Sophie echoed his thoughts. "We can't just leave her here, can we? What if someone else finds her? What are we supposed to do?" She choked out the words.

Wales didn't respond, deep in thought.

"Why is this happening?" Sophie whispered, barely audible. "This school was supposed to be perfect. Everything was supposed to be perfect."

She stared at the girl on the floor, nauseated. Only weeks ago, at the very end of July, she and her best friends had all received their acceptance letters, and erupted into a frenzy, going shopping every week to find the best things to help facilitate the change from boring, drab public school to exclusive, private boarding school. Every waking moment had been filled with excitement, and now that they were finally here, something dreadful and nightmarish was taking over their fantasy.

"I think we have to tell someone about this," Wales decided finally. "It's won't be good if someone else stumbles upon her like this."

"But what if someone thinks _we_ hurt her? We're not supposed to be here."

Voices coming from the opposite end of the corridor alerted them to the unwelcome fact that they were no longer alone, interrupting their frantic attempt to figure out what to do. Sophie did her best not to panic. Panicking would get her absolutely nowhere. Gathering her strength, Sophie ran back to the hall they had come from, hiding up against a wall. She motioned for Wales to do the same. He looked confused, but obeyed her request.

She wanted to peek out to see who was there, but refrained. She didn't dare get herself wrapped up in a new mess, unwilling to face any unnecessary consequences, especially when this was nothing more than a major case of being at the wrong place, at the wrong time. If someone caught her, it would be really hard to explain why she and Wales weren't at the nurse's office like they should've been.

A loud swear resonated through the hall.

"Not again."

Sophie's eyes widened. What kind of a response was that?

Another voice joined the conversation. "That's two now, isn't it? I thought the school was supposed to be safe."

"It is, I assure you."

Sophie stared at the ceiling, biting her lip. She didn't recognize the voices, but then, there were a lot of teachers and other staff members she hadn't met in the short time she'd been here.

"How can that be?" A third voice broke in. "Two students are dead, less than twenty-four hours apart in less than forty-eight hours after reopening the school!"

"Apparently we were mistaken about the dangers," the voice was eerily calm. "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do now. We must keep this from the students. Something like this is very damaging. Regardless, the school is on high alert as of this moment."

"How on earth can we possibly keep this from students? They should be aware of the danger they may be in, until we figure out what is happening! What are you suggesting?"

"Simple things. Ones that won't necessarily catch the students' attention. We'll enforce the curfew more seriously, for starters. Starting now we will have more faculty in the halls immediately following nighttime protocol. We can't force the students to travel in groups without arousing suspicion and causing a scene, however because they are new and the school is large, we can encourage the 'buddy system'. In addition, we need more security on the grounds, especially when classes are over. We'll have to keep them out of _the_ wing as well. Several students were caught there the other day, but from what we gathered, they only appeared to be lost."

"This school never should have reopened."

"Nonsense. Now let's clean this up before anyone else comes down the hallway."

Sophie herself was suddenly inclined to agree that reopening may not have been in the school's best interest. Her stomach lurched again, the nausea that had been replaced by panic quickly returning.

The conversation overwhelmed Sophie, the details whirring around in her head. So much of it didn't make any sense, but she forced herself to keep listening, to at least try to understand. They talked about Selen as if she wasn't even a person. "Clean this up", Sophie was horrified they could refer to a student in such a manner. Sure, Selen definitely had not been the nicest person, but she didn't deserve this. Would her family even be notified? They were trying to cover up her death- hers and Lera's. More than that, they were hiding something about the school. They didn't want the students to know what was happening to their classmates, purely because it looked bad for the school's image. Or was there something more going on that the teachers weren't letting on?

Sophie couldn't figure out for the life of her what was going on here.

Visions of Selen's body kept flitting through her mind. Wales was saying something to her, but she couldn't hear him. His voice blurred in her ears. The face in the bathroom mirror reflected back over and over again.

Finally overcome, Sophie collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Surprised that none of her friends were at their usual table, Madoka decided the lunch hour would be perfect for doing a little more exploring. The majority of the students were in the hall, so it'd be unlikely for her to run into anyone.

Except for-

"Hey, Madoka!" Gingka greeted her almost immediately after she left the hall. "What are you doing?"

"Just a little homework."

"During lunch?! You're going to skip out on food?"

"It's more important I get this done," Madoka answered truthfully. "Besides, I already ate." She really hoped her lightly growling stomach wouldn't betray her.

"Oh. Do you mind if I come with you?" Gingka's face was so eager Madoka had to turn away to collect her thoughts. "We could work on our creative writing assignment!"

"Well, um, Gingka, I-" Madoka felt herself growing red, although she couldn't imagine why. "I have a chemistry lab that I really need to finish, so…"

His smile faded slightly. "That's okay. Maybe another time." Gingka turned back down toward the dining hall.

She hated watching that grin slowly vanish. "W-wait!" Gingka turned around. "I could always do my chemistry homework tonight…"

The fast returning smile on Gingka's face made it her decision one hundred percent worth it. Besides, a second pair of eyes while exploring the castle wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? And anyway, she had promised her friends she would bring someone else with her, for safety's sake. It wasn't like she had another reason for letting Gingka come with her, at least that was what she told herself.

It took them all of five minutes to become hopelessly lost.

Gingka had taken off instantly, excited at the prospect of exploring the castle. Madoka had struggled to keep up, but was enjoying herself nonetheless. It was nice to finally check out the castle without a teacher looming over them, ready to call them out as soon as they crossed a line. Once he finally calmed down, Gingka and Madoka started down a corridor neither of them had noticed before. They'd followed it and taken a number of different turns, inspecting each hall as they passed through. So far, they had yet to find anything special, although the farther they walked, the older the area seemed to become, as though it hadn't been touched in hundreds of years, unlike the recently renovated dorms and classrooms.

Madoka suspected they had inadvertently entered the off-limits section of the castle. It had never been explicitly said out loud, but no one ever mentioned the north wing of the castle. Then again, no one ever mentioned the dungeon, either. She assumed the school must have had a dungeon; after all it _was_ a castle. That sort of thing was to be expected, unpleasant as it may be.

Madoka made a mental note to check out the dungeon if she couldn't find anything here. She sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to that; the dungeon was likely to have more than a few uncomfortable surprises waiting for her.

If they were actually in an off-limits area, there was bound to be some surprise waiting for them.

Ancient artwork decorated the hall, the elaborate tapestries just as prevalent among the walls as in the dining hall. Madoka had to wonder if these ones were more valuable, if there was a real reason they weren't on display in the main part of the castle. Something so rare would likely not fare well surrounded by hordes of teenagers day after day. It wouldn't take long before someone could damage it irreparably.

Gingka mentioned secret passages as he fluttered down the halls, and while Madoka was inclined to believe there weren't any, she wasn't ruling out the possibility entirely. In a castle so old, with so many secrets, it was hard to know for sure. The teachers probably didn't know every little, possibly insignificant, detail about the school.

Being in the castle made it feel as though Madoka had been transported into a fairytale. It was magical, yet strangely forbidding and uncertain all at the same time.

 _Not all fairytales ended happily ever after_. Madoka shivered as the dark thought crept into her mind.

She ran her hand along the wall, attempting to find anything out of place or unusual. One brick jutted out, but from what she could tell it wasn't indicative of anything important, just age. It had probably slipped out of its proper place a long time ago.

Gingka peered around a marble bust. "There's nothing here!" Disappointment was etched across his face as he ran his hands all over the bust, trying to uncover whatever secret he thought it was trying to hide.

Madoka laughed. "I told you there wouldn't be. Anyway, the castle was moved over from Scotland; someone would know about any secrets or hidden passages."

"But that was over a hundred years ago! Anyone who knew anything is probably dead! It's not like they wrote all of it down somewhere."

Madoka sighed. Too bad it wasn't that easy and someone hadn't scribbled down everything they needed to know. "C'mon, let's try this hall. It doesn't look like anyone's been down here in a while."

"What makes you say that?"

"Do you not see the dust?"

Footsteps suddenly echoed throughout the hall. Madoka froze.

"Do you hear that?"

Madoka nodded, placing a finger on her lips. An unfamiliar voice resounded against the walls.

"I thought I heard voices."

"You're imagining things. Students aren't supposed to be down here."

Gingka and Madoka looked at each other worriedly. Gingka walked over to a door and jiggled the handle. After a few moments it gave, the hinges worn over time. They squeaked painfully. Madoka held her breath, praying they didn't make enough noise to be notable. He pushed Madoka in, then firmly shut the door, a loud squeaking noise emanating out. She sneezed as their entrance kicked up dust all over the room, shoving her face into her elbow in hopes of muffling the sound.

Madoka became aware of her position in Gingka's arms, and quickly separated herself, but he seemed not to have noticed. She visibly relaxed.

She took a look around the room, again sneezing at the dust. The room hadn't been touched in a very long time, of that much she was certain. Madoka initially had assumed most of the castle had been explored before the school reopened, but maybe some areas had been missed. The castle was big enough for that to be a possibility. It wouldn't have been too hard to overlook a room, thinking it had already been checked. There was enough dust and debris coating the room from floor to ceiling to fully support that hypothesis.

Most of the items in the room were broken. A spear sat splintered in the corner, next to the head from a suit of armor. As she looked up, Madoka noticed there was something off about the shape of the ceiling, but couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

A strange outline on the stone floors caught her attention. She went over to investigate as Gingka suddenly grabbed her arm. Madoka looked at him.

"What are you doing?"

Madoka wriggled free from his grasp but kept her hand in his. "There's something there." She knelt down to inspect it.

Brushing a thick layer of dust aside, she grinned as a wooden door appeared on the floor, in stark contrast to the stone flooring surrounding it. Madoka wiped the dust on her skirt. She tugged on one of the edges of the small square door. Gingka joined her on the ground and together the two of them lifted it up.

They stared down into the blackness below.

"What do you think is down there?" Gingka asked. Madoka could only shake her head.

"You stay here. I'm going to down to check it out."

"No way." Gingka blocked her path. "I'm not letting you down there alone."

"I'll be fine; I have my phone, I can use it as a flashlight. Besides, one of us has to stay up here in case the other needs help."

"We don't know what's down there."

"Gingka, I'm sure it's fine."

"If you're going down there, then I'm going with you."

Madoka's phone beeped, distracting her for the moment. "We've got class in ten minutes." She bit her lip, the decision bothering her. "Since we're going to be late no matter what…" She inched closer to the trapdoor.

"I really don't think this is a good idea."

"This might be our only chance. There's no telling if we'll be able to find our way back to this room."

Allowing her legs to dangle into the darkness, Madoka prepared to lower herself into the opening. Cold air rushed past her legs.

A loud whoosh sounded, and Gingka yanked Madoka up from the ground. A sharp, metallic bang reverberated against the walls as a pendulum axe came into contact with the hard stone, having dropped alarmingly fast from the ceiling. Madoka shrieked, holding tight to Gingka as the axe slowly wobbled back and forth.

"L-let's just go to class."

* * *

Hikaru stared in disbelief at her room.

It was a chaotic mess. Someone had thrown everything from its rightful place, creating an enormous mess. Mei Mei and Selen were nowhere to be seen.

She had no idea what to think. Other than the staff, the three girls would have been the only ones with access to the room, unless one of them had accidentally left the door open that morning. No one's belongings had been spared either, making it unlikely Selen was the culprit. Selen was the only one she knew personally took issue with her. It wasn't like Hikaru and Mei Mei had had much time to make any enemies. She had no idea who could have possibly done this.

The door had been marginally opened when she first came back to the room, but whoever had done this likely wouldn't have bothered to close it again when they were done. Hikaru racked her brains, trying to remember who had been last to leave the room. She and Mei Mei had spent the night with Sophie and Madoka, and dragged over everything they'd needed to get ready for the upcoming day the night before. Selen would have been the only one in there this morning. She must have forgotten to lock the door. That was the only plausible explanation for someone unauthorized being able to break into their room. The door itself showed no sign of damage. It definitely had not been forced open.

She collected her books from off the ground and placed them on her bed, unsure of what to do about the rest of the disaster. Cleaning it was the obvious answer, but there was no way she would have time to do that and get to class. At the moment, all she could do was continue to stare with her mouth wide open, her mind spinning.

After dinner, when Selen and Mei Mei were back, the three of them would deal with it. She wasn't going to try and sort through it on her own. She'd have to steel herself for Selen's tantrum, but she could handle it. Hikaru wasn't the one who had made the mess. Her things were scattered across the floor, too.

Giving in, she shut the door behind her, making certain it was tightly locked, nearly bumping into someone in the process.

She looked up to see Ryuga scowling at her.

"Do you ever pay attention to what you're doing?" He regarded her.

"I- What are you doing here?" Hikaru added some bite to her words. "Last I checked, this was the west wing. The _girls'_ wing." He may have caught her off guard the first time, but she was going to make damn sure he knew not to test her.

Ryuga folded his arms. "I don't have to tell you anything."

"Only if you want me to go talk to one of the teachers," Hikaru stood her ground. "You're not supposed to be down here, at least not alone. You'll get in trouble."

"Then it's a good thing you're with me," Ryuga's face held the faintest trace of a smile.

"Wh- I'm not _with_ you, you're on your own here."

Ryuga shrugged and started walking down the hall. Hikaru stood still for a moment, then followed him. She'd never had any intention of getting him in trouble to begin with, but now she was curious as to what he was up to.

Ryuga glanced behind him and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

After a while, the silence was beginning to get to her. Hikaru peeked at her phone, finding she had zero new messages. She had less than ten minutes to make it to class, but Ryuga showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. She looked at her phone again, counting down the seconds. She'd missed lunch for this; all she had wanted to do was get her books for afternoon classes, but between the disorder in her room and now this guy, she'd completely missed her chance. She wondered if her friends were having as wild of a day as she was.

"You don't have to follow me."

Hikaru shoved her phone back in her bag, almost crashing into him for a third time. "I-"

"You can go to class, you know. I wouldn't want you to miss anything important," Ryuga smirked.

Hikaru felt herself growing red. "Oh yeah? Well I wouldn't want you to miss out on anything either," she spat back. "Besides, it's not like I have to go to class. I can skip if I want."

Ryuga just smiled back at her, golden eyes glinting mysteriously.

Hikaru was on a roll. "And what are _you_ doing anyway? Trying to figure out the secrets of this spooky school?"

Ryuga's expression faltered for a brief second, before he regained composure.

"I- What?"

She tried to figure out what she had momentarily seen in his eyes. She had broken through his steely façade, if only for a second.

Ryuga turned back around and kept going. "It's nothing. You should get back to class, Hikaru."

"But-"

"Don't follow me."

His voice had lost the teasing edge it had held moments ago; it was harsh again, cold like when she'd first met him. Hikaru stood still, unsure of what to do. She wasn't going to make it to class on time no matter how hard she tried at this point; she didn't even know where she was. She'd been following Ryuga for so long that the halls had blended together. Hikaru had stopped paying attention to her surroundings, instead letting her mind wander, wondering about Ryuga and his intentions.

Tentatively, she took a step forward in his direction. He shot around.

"What did I just tell you," he growled. It wasn't a question.

"I don't know where I am," she answered honestly.

He sighed. "Take a left, follow that hall then take a right, and two more lefts. It'll take you to the classrooms."

"You seem to know this place pretty well," she remarked. "We haven't even been here for two days." Ryuga ignored her.

"Go to class."

"I'm not going."

Ryuga turned around. "What's it going to take to get you to leave me alone?"

"At this point, nothing," Hikaru smiled inwardly, enjoying his personality shift. There was so much more to him than he let on.

He groaned, but kept walking. Hikaru kept pace with him, staying a few feet behind. She followed him down several flights of stairs, deeper into the castle than she'd ever gone before. Were they even supposed to be down there? She doubted it, considering where he'd been when she'd run into him earlier. Rules didn't apply.

"Great."

She caught neither the word nor the sarcasm, or that he had stopped at the lowest stair. She kept going, walking straight past him, then shrieked as she fell, stepping down from the final step. Strong arms grabbed her, stopping her fall and bringing her back onto the stairs. Ryuga scowled at her. Hikaru looked down. This was starting to become a pattern.

Without warning, Ryuga stepped of the stairs, into the water Hikaru had nearly fallen in. He swore, looking around at the black water surrounding him, shaking his head. He held out a hand.

Hikaru backed up as far as the step would allow her. "No way."

He raised an eyebrow. "You want to stay here alone?"

Hikaru weighed her options. She had no idea where she was; there was a chance she'd be able to get back to the main part of the castle, Ryuga might even be able to give her directions again, but there was also a chance she'd end up completely lost. She really didn't want to brave the unknown parts of the castle alone, not after what had happened to Lera last night. Looking down at the gross water, she grimaced.

"Well?"

Hikaru took his hand, and joined him in the water. It barely went halfway up her shins, but was slimy and disgusting. She shuddered. Ryuga looked on in amusement.

"This isn't funny."

"I never said it was."


	6. Sympozium

**I'm hoping to get a cover photo up for this soon, but we'll see if that happens. I've got an idea of what I want it to look like so it's just a matter of getting around to doing it. Thank you SailorCandy for your review! This second half of this chapter was super fun to write. Let me know what you guys think! Song- "Sympozium", Dimmu Borgir.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Glad to finally be out of the shrubbery, Mei Mei inspected her arms and legs. They were scratched up from the thorny plants, but other than that she was none worse for the wear. She did wish her uniform covered more, though. It wasn't practical for what she was doing, sneaking around the school during classes and hiding in bushes. Although, for what it was worth, that hadn't really been her idea.

"Now what?" she asked, brushing twigs off her skirt.

"What do you mean?" Chao Xin was caught off guard.

"There's no point in going to class anymore; we're crazy late at this point. Besides, something's seriously not right here and we could be in trouble. We should try to figure out more about what's going on."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Not bothering to respond, Mei Mei headed back toward the entrance, leaving Chao Xin no choice but to follow.

They passed by several small groups of people, none of whom paid them much attention. Mei Mei was grateful for that; she wasn't sure she could stand any more stares from Chao Xin's vindictive, jealous fangirls.

She was about to turn down a corner, when something in the next hall caught her attention. She pressed up against the wall, and peered around the edge. Chao Xin stopped when she held out her hand in front of him, blocking him from going further.

Two attendants were carrying a stretcher, a body covered by white sheets.

"What do you think is going on?" Mei Mei whispered. Chao Xin shrugged.

Mei Mei watched with concerned eyes as they carried the stretcher, looking around to make sure no one saw them. Mei Mei pulled her head back around the corner several times so not to be noticed. She hadn't seen an ambulance while they were outside. The school must use another method to transport injured students.

"That was so weird," she commented once the attendants were out of sight. Throwing caution to the wind, she ran over to inspect the spot where the attendants had picked up the stretcher.

"Mei Mei- wait!" Chao Xin caught up with her.

"Do you think it was Lera?" Mei Mei whispered. She knelt down on the ground, noticing a large red blotch. She didn't touch it, squinting to get a better look.

Chao Xin sat next to her, shaking his head. "If that's what I think it is, they were carrying someone else." He motioned to the red splotch on the ground. "You said Lera died last night, right? That looks pretty fresh to me."

"I guess you're right. This is a completely wrong part of the castle anyway." Lera had already been removed from the girls' wing the previous evening, and if anything Mei Mei would have assumed she had been taken to the infirmary if she couldn't immediately be brought to a hospital. Mei Mei shifted uncomfortably. "What's going on here?"

"It's probably a completely isolated incident," Chao Xin said, matter-of-fact. "We still don't know exactly what Lera died from. This could be from an accident or something."

"I don't think they would have carried whoever it was out on a stretcher if it was just an 'accident'. Something big must have happened; you saw how the attendants were acting. They didn't want to be seen. They're covering something up."

"If that's what they were doing, then maybe we should let it drop."

"No way," Mei Mei stood up resolutely. "Something's going on here. We could be in danger, or maybe we could be the next ones hurt. We need to figure out what's happening. First, there was the face in the mirror, then Lera, and now whatever just happened here. The school's hiding something."

"The face in the mirror?"

"Sophie and Madoka both saw something weird in the girls' bathroom on the floor of our dorm rooms. They said it looked like a face and both of them were positive they were alone. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but it really freaked them out."

"Count me in."

Mei Mei looked at Chao Xin, confused.

He smiled. "If you're going after this mystery, then I'm going with you. Somebody has to protect you."

Mei Mei rolled her eyes, but was secretly grateful for his help. For a supposed player, he was much different than she'd ever expected.

"Where should we look first?"

"Follow me," Chao Xin took the lead. "I've got a few ideas."

Mei Mei let him take the lead, leisurely taking in her surroundings while her mind raced trying to make sense of what she'd seen last night and what she'd witnessed moments ago.

Chao Xin had brought her down an unfamiliar part of the castle. It was much dustier than the rest of the castle, and there were no students to be seen. Even during classes, it never failed that at least one or two were lurking in the halls, skipping class or running late. Mei Mei wondered if they really should be down there. She'd felt brave earlier, but the more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. There was no telling what she was getting herself into.

She held tight to Chao Xin's arm, hoping he wouldn't pay it too much attention. He was probably used to girls clinging to his arms regularly anyway. Mei Mei doubted he even noticed the action.

"That's interesting," Chao Xin's voice held a strange tone to it. She followed his gaze.

Along the hallway, there was a path of muddy footprints. They looked fairly recent, but Mei Mei couldn't be sure. She was by no means an expert, but the mud still appeared fresh and wet as it boldly stood out in contrast to the rest of the floor. Not to mention, it had rained pretty heavily the previous night.

Someone had been down there recently.

Mei Mei paused, wondering if she should follow them. At Chao Xin's urging, she did. They weren't supposed to be down there, but they might find some answers if they kept going. Mei Mei stared at the footprints as she passed them, trying to get an idea of who they might belong to. The shape and size of the shoes seemed decidedly feminine, like heels, but other than that she couldn't figure out anything else. No one in their right mind would wear heels out in a rainstorm and risk having the muddy ground ruin them.

The majority of the staff at the school was female, Mei Mei realized, so her deduction that the footprints belonged to a woman didn't count for much. She wondered if there was a reason behind that choice or if it was just pure chance.

The hallway darkened as the light behind them slowly faded, then suddenly lit up again as Chao Xin opened up a door leading into an empty room. Old lanterns surrounded the tiny space. They glowed, faint flames lighting the room. They were small, and must have been lit recently to still be burning.

The footprints had vanished.

"Did we take a wrong turn?" Mei Mei frowned.

"I don't think so," Chao Xin looked around the room. "It got dark back there, but I could still see an outline. We were going in the right direction."

"Then where-Ow!" Mei Mei stumbled backwards out of the room back into the hall after bumping into a slightly upraised piece of stone poking up from the floor, falling through a slightly opened door right at the end of the hall. The door had blended perfectly with the stone, unnoticeable had Mei Mei not fallen. Chao Xin raised an eyebrow. Behind the door, a set of stairs was concealed. They stretched upward at a steep angle in a spiral, making it difficult to see exactly how high they went.

"I think this leads up one of the towers." He helped Mei Mei up and pushed the door open the rest of the way.

"But why was it hidden?" Mei Mei asked.

"That what we're about to find out. Look," he pointed to the steps. "The footprints are back. Whoever was down here went up these stairs, and probably lit the lanterns, too."

"Do you think they're still up here?" Mei Mei bit her lip.

Chao Xin shook his head. "I doubt it. The lanterns have been on for a while; they're almost out. If they are still up there, then they've been there a while. We'll just have to be careful."

Mei Mei followed him up the stairs. They opened a creaking door slowly, and to their relief, there was no one in the room.

They were in a tower, just as Chao Xin had expected. There was a large window, overlooking the foggy lake in the distance. Mei Mei walked over to look out it. The lake was eerie as ever, if not more so from where she stood. A shimmery mist was rising over it.

Chao Xin was looking at a pile of discarded items in the corner.

"Is this some sort of telescope?" He asked, holding up one object. Mei Mei joined him and started searching through the pile.

She found an odd map, one she couldn't even begin to decipher. It was hundreds of years old at the very least, and seemed seconds away from crumbling into dust in her hands. She found another one, and suddenly the pieces fell together.

"This is a star map," she realized. "Look at the constellations."

Chao Xin took one of the maps from her hands and inspected it. "What's all this astrological equipment doing up here?"

"I don't know," Mei Mei answered. "Let's take one of these maps with us. Hopefully whoever was up here earlier won't notice it's gone."

Chao Xin glanced down at the stairs. "We should head back now. Those lanterns aren't going to burn much longer and I don't want to be stuck trying to find our way back in the dark. Besides, it's been a while, and I don't want anyone to think we've gone missing."

"Good point." Together she and Chao Xin descended down the stairs, leaving the secret room as they had found it and the lake disappearing in the distance.

* * *

Hikaru stepped delicately through the black water. It sludged against her leg, dirt sticking uncomfortably against her bare skin. The height of the water had risen slightly since she'd first stepped foot in it, and now the waterline rested just below her knee. She should of thought it through further before joining Ryuga in the grimy water.

"What are we doing down here?" Her teeth chattered as she spoke, the cold encompassing her. "Where are we?"

Ryuga looked up at the muck-covered ceiling. "We're underneath the castle. Somewhere in the sewers, I think."

"The sewers!" Hikaru could barely contain a shriek, but she steadied herself.

"You didn't have to come," Ryuga's voice was soft, to the point where she could barely hear it.

"It doesn't matter," Hikaru sighed, resigning herself to her fate. "It could be worse."

Ryuga cracked a small smile before continuing down the tunnel. Something was off, but Hikaru wasn't sure whether she should ask or let it drop. His attitude had changed entirely since they'd gotten down here. The harshness had faded, but he wasn't in a joking mood either. Instead, he'd been almost completely silent, consumed by determination. For the time being, she kept up with him.

She had no idea what he could possibly be looking for in the sewers or why he had even come down here in the first place. There had to be a reason; she couldn't imagine why he would just go into the sewers to see what they were like. Not if he knew how disgusting it would be. Hikaru frowned, looking down at the dark water surrounding her.

It was incredibly dimly lit. The growth on the walls of the sewer glowed a disturbingly toxic green color. She could hardly see Ryuga several paces ahead of her. Holding onto him to stay together would have been smart, but she wasn't about to do that. Hikaru did not want him thinking she was afraid.

The sewers split off in several directions, some of those directions blocked off by grates, but Ryuga kept going straight. Hikaru wondered if he had been down there before, or if he was just as lost as her. She took out her phone, attempting to use it as a flashlight. The bright light instantly filled the tunnel. Her eyes took a moment to adjust. She wrinkled her nose. With a better view, the sewers looked even more disgusting, though she had a hard time believing that possible.

"Don't."

"What?" Hikaru nearly dropped her phone at his sudden command.

"Do you want to attract anything that's down here? There's probably rats."

"Rats?" Hikaru shuddered. She clicked off the flashlight app immediately. "Can we go back up?"

"You can."

A sudden rush echoed through the tunnel. Hikaru tensed. What was-

Ryuga swore. "Hold your phone above your head if you like it the way it is."

Hikaru barely had time to comply, much less respond, before a wave of sewage water streamed past her, soaking her from the waist down. It pushed her backwards, the force nearly knocking her over. Her first instinct was to scream, but she clamped her mouth shut. The last thing she wanted was the nasty sewer water getting in her mouth. The water subsided quickly, returning to rest slightly above her knees this time, but the damage was done. Hikaru took a deep breath, composing herself.

"Are you okay?" Ryuga asked. He was several feet ahead of her.

Hikaru didn't bother responding, instead trudging through the water to catch up with him.

"How do I get out of here?" She grit her teeth.

Ryuga shook his head. "No idea."

"You mean you've never been down here before?"

Ryuga raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a person who spends their free time exploring sewers?"

Hikaru giggled as the absurdity of the question hit her. "But that's what you're doing right now."

Realizing he'd backed himself into a corner, Ryuga gave in. "This is the only time I've done it. But don't forget, you're doing the same."

Hikaru couldn't control her laughter at this point. The situation was so bizarre: lost beneath the school in the sewers, soaked in gross water, and alone with a boy she barely knew.

Ryuga rolled his eyes and took her hand. "Let's get out of here before you lose it."

The sewage system was seemingly endless as it wound on and on splitting off in every direction; it was impossible to tell where they were, or if they were even remotely near an exit. Ryuga seemed focused on something, so Hikaru stuck close to him. To her dismay, they did see several rats, but fortunately there hadn't been any more waves. Her skirt was still drenched with gritty bits of sludge clinging to the material, but it wasn't bothering her as much anymore.

"What's that?" Hikaru loosened her hand from Ryuga's and broke away. She walked over to one of the walls.

Against her better judgment, she brushed aside the grime of hundreds of years and stared back at the image that had appeared. It had been carved several inches deep, composed of sharp, jagged lines.

On the wall, a picture of a woman surrounded by a hazy outline stood in front of a castle. Her arms were raised, and something seemed to be coming from the ground. To the left of the castle, near the woman, a lake was drawn.

"Is that the castle?" She asked. "And that's the lake?"

"It looks like it," Ryuga focused on the picture. "What's it doing down here?"

"The castle was brought over in the 1700s, right?" Hikaru frowned. "If that's the lake, then the picture had to have been drawn sometime after that, once the sewage system was put together. Do you know how old the castle itself is?"

Ryuga shook his head. "We should get out of here. I don't like the looks of that picture."

"What do you mean?"

"It feels like some kind of warning to me. We need to go."

"But- You're the one who wanted to come down here in the first place!"

"And I didn't find what I was looking for. Let's go."

"What you're looking- Ryuga! You don't even know where we are! What could you possibly be looking for down here?" Hikaru chased after him, struggling to trudge through the water as it sloshed around her, before his figure disappeared too far into the inky darkness. Hesitating for a moment, she snapped a picture of the image on the wall.

The sewers continued to stretch on. Hikaru sighed. Her phone was dead; she'd lost all sense of time. She'd barely been able to take the picture before the battery called it quits. Ryuga had gone completely silent, ignoring all her questions. It was almost as though she was on her own beneath the castle. She welcomed the sound of his footsteps through the dense water. If she really was alone she would have gone crazy. It was hard to believe that had been Ryuga's original plan when he came down here.

Her mind slid back to the carving on the wall. The image had to mean something, although she had no idea what. She'd show the picture to Madoka later, once they got out and her phone was charged; maybe the other girl had come across something in her search for legends of Starlight Academy.

Ryuga stopped directly in front of her. She didn't notice, too absorbed in her own thoughts, and bumped into him. She looked up at him inquisitively. His face had gone completely white.

"What-" She heard the roar, the noise causing her stomach to drop as realization hit.

More water was coming. A lot more, by the sound of it.

Hikaru looked at Ryuga anxiously. "What do we do?"

She started back, down the tunnel, when he grabbed her shoulder. "We can't outrun it. It's coming too fast."

"How much?" Hikaru felt a lump growing in her throat.

"No idea."

Hikaru grabbed onto his shoulder, tighter than she needed to, just as the water came into view. It was much more than she had anticipated, easily a foot over her head, barely below the ceiling of the tunnel. She screamed as the water overtook her, shutting her mouth before the water could get into it. Her eyes closed, and she was violently ripped away from Ryuga, down further into the tunnel. She kicked one of the walls, or it could have been the ceiling, as she flailed. Her bearings were gone.

Her lungs were killing her, screaming for air, but she didn't dare open her mouth, or her eyes. The water was still moving wildly past her.

After what seemed like an eternity, it passed. Hikaru found her footing and broke free to the surface. The water was still well above her stomach, but she allowed herself to breathe, gasping for air. She opened her eyes.

Ryuga was nowhere to be seen. Panic began to set in.

"Ryuga?" She called, her voice growing frantic. "Ryuga?"

"Down here."

She couldn't see anything, but she followed the sound of his voice, squeezing water out of her hair as she ran through the tunnel as best she could. There was still a small current she fought against, but the water level was slowly decreasing.

Finally, she saw him. Filled with relief, she pushed aside the rest of the water to catch up.

"I think I found a way out." His voice was oddly quiet.

"Where?"

Ryuga pointed above his head, up to a small rock wall. There was a tiny entrance at the top, from which she could see a speck of light pouring out of.

Hikaru stared. The potential entryway barely looked big enough for a young child to squeeze through. She glanced back at Ryuga's broad shoulders. She wasn't confident she'd be able to fit. She grimaced. Going back wasn't exactly an option, though. This could be their only opportunity to get out.

Before she had any idea of what he was doing, Ryuga grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up.

"Grab that hold and climb up," he instructed.

She wanted to protest, but it was obvious he wouldn't be putting her down no matter how much she pleaded. The rock was a little loose, but held her well enough. Hikaru reached her foot out, finding a hold, and Ryuga let go of her. She steadied herself along the wall, then climbed as best she could. The craggy wall wasn't fully conducive to climbing. She regretted looking back down, and hoped Ryuga would catch her if anything went wrong.

Several times she lost her footing, slipping against the slimy wall, but Ryuga remained below, waiting for her to reach the top. One of the rocks tumbled into the water when she grabbed it, nearly causing her to fall, but she managed to catch herself. The opening was right above her.

She wiggled into it. The rocks scraped against her, sliding her shirt up and leaving light scratches against her skin. She gripped the rock she held harder, pulling her leg up to find the next hold.

Finally, she pulled herself over the edge and collapsed, exhausted. A few moments later, Ryuga joined her. Hikaru tried not to gape at how easy he'd maneuvered his way up and through. He made it look so easy.

"What are you, a contortionist?" She smiled. Ryuga scowled, jumping to his feet.

They were in some sort of cave, a small one at that. The exit was less than twenty feet away. The two of them ran toward it, eager to get into the light again.

The light wasn't nearly as bright as she had hoped. Hikaru half-wouldn't have cared if it temporarily blinded them. Instead, they were met with a pale, hazy fog. The cave brought them out right in front of the lake. Hikaru stared out across it, then sat down on a rock, catching her breath. Ryuga sat next to her.

"You shouldn't have followed me."

"What?" Hikaru asked, surprised.

"It was dangerous. You should have stayed behind."

Was that some sort of apology? "I wouldn't have listened. I had no idea where I was once we left the main part of the castle," Hikaru told him truthfully.

Ryuga gazed out to the lake. "My younger brother came here. Two years ago."

"What are you-"

"He never came back."

Hikaru's eyes widened.

"I came here to find him. I've looked everywhere I can, but so far," Ryuga shrugged, still looking at the lake. "There's no sign of him. It's like he disappeared without a trace. That's why I was looking in the sewers. There's only so many places he could be. I don't know what to do anymore."

"You'll find him." Ryuga didn't meet her gaze.

"I'm starting to think this is a lost cause. He might not be here. He might've got lost on the way here, or maybe he never made it here in the first place."

"You don't believe that," Hikaru said softly.

"I don't know what else to believe. He's gone."

"Why did he come here? Starlight Academy was closed two years ago."

"He heard rumors about a hidden treasure; he'd always been interested in treasure hunting. Back then, the school was debating reopening, and he and a group of other people applied to help explore the castle, to make sure it was safe. From what I understand, everyone else made it back fine, except for him," Ryuga paused. "I called the school after his disappearance, and asked about him. They claimed they knew nothing about him, that he had never even been to the castle and they didn't know who he was. But I had a letter from them inviting him to visit. Once the school reopened, I applied, but I haven't found anything and I've been practically everywhere in the castle the past two days."

Hikaru watched him as he gazed despondently out over the lake. He tossed a rock into it. The rock skipped twice before disappearing beneath the water, leaving behind only small ripples.

"I haven't found proof he was here, if there is any, and I sure as hell haven't found him. It's starting to feel like a waste of time," Ryuga sighed. "The police didn't do anything when he was reported missing either. Starlight Academy fed them the same crap they tried to shove down my throat."

Hikaru hated seeing him like that, although she couldn't quite figure out why. After their little adventure in the sewer, and now that it was over with both of them still in one piece, she felt like they'd bonded a little. Hikaru thought back to last night, when Lera had been found in front of the dorms. That same day, her own dorm had been ransacked. Something was definitely going on at Starlight Academy, and Hikaru was almost certain the disappearance of Ryuga's brother was part of it.

"I'm going to help you."

"What?" Ryuga finally looked at her, confusion swirling in his eyes.

Hikaru moved over so they were sharing the same rock and took his hand, her amethyst eyes meeting his gold ones. "We're going to find your brother."


	7. Miasma

**I'm going to be traveling the next few days so I'm uploading this now otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it until some time next week. Thank you so much to Guest and SailorCandy for your reviews! Song- "Miasma" by Ghost.**

 **PSA to my American readers (although I wouldn't be surprised if similar strategies are used in other countries): If anyone comes up to you trying to talk to you about the "heavenly mother", DO NOT go anywhere with them and report them to the police. This is a tactic used by human traffickers to kidnap people. My friend was approached by them in** **Wal-Mart the other day; fortunately they're okay, but it's scary to think how close to home something like this can happen. Stay safe everyone, and on a lighter note, enjoy the chapter! :D**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Sophie blinked, her eyes opening, and found herself in an unfamiliar setting. She sat up, resting on her elbows.

She was not on her bed, let alone her dorm. The room was much smaller than her own, evidenced by the fact that it was only set up to accommodate two occupants. The bed directly across from her was an unmade mess, with clothes all over the floor. The side of the room she sat in was relatively neat, but there was still no denying it. The uniform hanging in the open closet next to her confirmed her suspicions.

She was in a _boy's_ room.

Sophie reached back and grabbed the headboard to steady herself. She took some deep breaths, closing her eyes as everything spun around her.

Nobody was in the room, thankfully, so she had a moment to check herself. She hated the thought of someone catching her so completely unraveled. How had she gotten there? Where was she? What had happened? Had anything happened?

Thinking hard, her memory slowly came back to her. The last thing she remembered was finding Selen's grotesque body. No- The last thing she remembered was the teachers talking when they found Selen. They had said majorly disturbing things that still bothered her immensely, even far away and safely removed from where it all had gone down. Wales, the boy from her psychology class had been with her at the time. Was this his room?

Sophie stepped onto the ground carefully, feeling a little unsteady. She blinked a few more times. It felt so surreal.

The door opened, causing her to tense. Wales entered the room. She relaxed.

"You're looking better," he remarked.

Sophie grimaced; she certainly didn't _feel_ any better. Selen was still dead and she was never getting that gory image out of her head. It would reside there permanently until she died.

"How did I get here?"

"I brought you here." Wales said it like the answer should have been obvious. Sophie realized he must have carried her all the way from where she collapsed. Her stomach fluttered nervously.

"Why?"

Wales leaned up against the wall, shrugging. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. The teachers were coming down the hall, and I didn't know what else to do. I grabbed you then jumped down one of the adjacent hallways before they could see us. My dorm wasn't that far away."

"Huh," Sophie mulled it over. "I guess that makes sense. What time is it?"

"Classes just ended," Wales looked at the clock. "Which means now might be a good time for you to leave before my roommate shows up and starts getting ideas about you and me."

"Oh. Right," Sophie used her hair to conceal her blush. "Well, thank you. I should find my friends. They're probably worried about me."

She shut the door behind her, making her way to the dining hall. She'd been unconscious for hours, missing all of the day's classes except that first half of psychology- that was unexpected. She hoped she hadn't worried the other girls too much with her absence at lunch. She picked up her pace.

When she made it to the dining hall, Sophie was surprised to see that only Madoka was present. She took a plate of food and joined her friend at the table. The rest of the room was quickly filling up with students.

"Where is everybody?"

Madoka shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just got here."

"Oh. Sorry I missed out on lunch- something came up."

"I wasn't at lunch either," Madoka smiled. "I came to the hall, but I didn't see anyone, so I went exploring."

"Did you find anything?" Sophie asked eagerly.

Madoka's face turned a sickly shade for a brief moment. "N-not exactly."

Sophie frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's-" Madoka took a deep breath, "I was in an off-limits part of the castle. Gingka was with me."

Sophie raised an eyebrow.

"No, no it's not what you think, stop looking at me like that. We found a trapdoor in the floor, but it was booby-trapped or something. If he hadn't been with me, I'd probably be dead."

Sophie gasped, then was reminded of the grisly scene she'd encountered. Suddenly dinner didn't seem as appetizing as before. She stood up, leaving her plate with most of the food still on it. "I'm heading back to the room," she said shakily.

"Me, too," Madoka agreed, also abandoning a fairly full plate.

Once back in their dorm room, Sophie told Madoka the details of her day, leaving out the part about waking up in Wales's room. It felt way too weird to admit, even to one of her closest friends. Sophie wasn't confident about how she felt about it, so she definitely wasn't going to say anything yet. Besides, the horrible fate that had befallen Selen was plenty to deal with on its own.

"Selen's dead, too?" Madoka's eyes widened. "What is going on here?"

"I have no idea," Sophie hugged her legs to her chest as she sat on her bed.

"They have to be connected somehow," Madoka said, referring to Lera's death.

Sophie had come to the same conclusion herself. It was ugly to think something sinister was happening at the school, but it was hard to deny when she'd seen both dead girls in person. Both of their bodies had suffered brutal attacks. There was no way it could be coincidence.

Sophie pursed her lips. She'd already seen her fair share of disturbing scenes. Hopefully whatever was going on would be resolved quickly.

"I've done more than enough exploring for me," Sophie said. "I'm good."

A knock on the door caught their attention and they opened it, allowing Mei Mei to come inside. She explained that her room was a mess, but she didn't know why. Sophie had completely forgotten about that with everything else going on. Now they would never know if Selen had been the culprit. Although, now that she considered it, maybe a struggle had taken place, resulting in Selen's demise.

Sophie told her about what had become of Selen. Mei Mei listened on in horror, then left the room in a frenzied hurry. Sophie twitch, hoping she hadn't upset Mei Mei too much. A few minutes later, she returned, carrying a large pile of books and clothes along with her bag.

"Can I stay in here for a few days?" Mei Mei asked, her voice anything but steady.

"Of course," Sophie nodded. "Hikaru should probably come in here, too. We'll be safer that way."

Mei Mei and Hikaru had seemed pretty comfortable on the floor the other night. It was just like the sleepovers they used to have back home. The familiarity of the idea calmed Sophie.

"Do you think we should stay?" Madoka asked nervously. "The school hasn't even been open two days."

Mei Mei shook her head. "I don't know. I don't want to stay, but it was hard enough getting in here to begin with. Leaving now kind of seems pointless. Besides how would we get out of here in the first place? They took a bus to bring us here and I don't know the roads. There aren't any cars around. We're kind of stuck for now."

"It could be a few unrelated unfortunate events," Sophie said, trying to convince herself more than anyone else. "We're probably fine."

"If there was that much danger, the school would be closing again," Madoka reasoned. "They wouldn't stay open if there was a chance of more students dying. There's probably more to this than we're seeing, and that's why it looks so bad to us. We don't know all sides of the story."

There was another knock at the door. This time, the unlocked door swung open to reveal Hikaru.

She was soaked from head to toe, her skirt dripping, but her eyes held a strange sparkle.

"What happened to you?" Madoka gasped.

"I… Fell in the lake," Hikaru smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"What were you doing down there?" Mei Mei asked.

"It's kind of a long story. I'll catch up with you guys in a few minutes; I've got to take a shower. That water is seriously disgusting."

"Wait!"

Sophie filled Hikaru in on what she had learned. Hikaru's face paled, and she agreed to bring a bag with her from her room when she came back to the room. Sophie didn't like letting her friend go alone. Selen had been lying out in the open in the middle of the day where anyone could have found her. Sophie really hoped nothing was attacking the students, but if that was the case, it didn't seem as though whatever was doing it had any qualms about carrying out the dark acts in broad daylight.

The other three girls talked amongst themselves while the waited for her to return, but it was forced. Something about Hikaru's story didn't sit right with them, but they weren't going to push her. The other day at the lake, all of them had been creeped out with no desire to go back. Sophie couldn't fathom why Hikaru would have gone back so soon. She likely hadn't been alone. That would've been madness.

Hikaru rejoined them fifteen minutes later. She skirted around any further questions about the lake, merely repeating that she'd just fallen in while hoping to get a better look.

"I can't believe Selen is gone." Hikaru ran a comb through her wet hair. "I honestly wanted to ask her if she knew what had happened to our room, but that's not going to be happening. Not unless anyone brought a Ouija board with them."

Madoka informed Mei Mei and Hikaru about her adventures, then Mei Mei shared her story about the equipment she and Chao Xin had found in the tower. Had her experience not been so unusual, bombarding her with questions about the school's biggest player would have dominated the conversation.

"What was it doing up there? Who secretly leaves expensive things like that lying around?" Hikaru asked.

"No idea," Mei Mei responded. "But we were definitely in an unused part of the castle and someone had been down there recently. I'm guessing they were trying to hide all of it for some reason. I took this map with me."

The girls looked at the map she produced from her backpack, trying to make sense of it. Madoka recognized a few of the constellations, but it didn't seem like anything other than an old map. Other than its age, it had little value. She took the fragile paper in her hands.

"There has to be some sort of reasoning behind this," she mused. "Starlight Academy… An old star map… We're missing something."

After sitting around tossing out ideas, each more absurd than the next, the girls finally gave in. Right now, the vampire idea was at the forefront, ridiculous as it was, but as Sophie pointed out, both bodies that had been found had dried blood on them. Provided a vampire _was_ behind it all, it was doing a terrible job draining blood from its victims the way a vampire was supposed to. Mei Mei argued a wild animal, potentially one with rabies, had somehow gotten in the castle. They were no closer to solving the mystery than they had been the day before.

"No more exploring," Sophie decided, yawning. "That's a definite."

Madoka and Mei Mei looked like they wanted to argue, and Hikaru shifted, but no one said anything.

"Really, guys?" Sophie defended. "Madoka almost got her head split open and Hikaru could have drowned in the lake. If either of you were alone, we never would have known! It's not worth the risk."

"It's probably for the best," Madoka relented. "We could get seriously hurt; we don't know what's hiding in this castle, especially the unexplored areas. There might be more traps, and if whoever was using that tower caught Mei Mei and Chao Xin, they could have been in big trouble."

"We should probably stay away from the lake, too," Mei Mei mentioned. "I don't think it's safe." Hikaru smiled sheepishly.

* * *

Sophie sat in the library, trying to catch up on what she had missed the previous day. Skipping lunch for a second day wasn't in her plans, but there was no helping it. Her teachers were less than thrilled when she asked for the work she'd missed. If they knew why she had missed their classes, Sophie was convinced they'd have been more understanding.

Sophie rifled through her bag until she found the book she needed. At least she had made an attempt to find out what she'd missed. Most wouldn't have bothered. Her teachers should've been glad she'd taken the initiative.

She flipped through the pages of her psychology book, trying to glean any sort of understanding. If only Mei Mei had been in class. Then, she could've asked her to help catch her up.

Although, had Mei Mei been in class in the first place, Sophie never would've left under the pretense of going to see the nurse, and she would never have seen Selen's corpse. She would've made it to all her classes and have been none the wiser. Sophie shoved the unpleasant, unwelcome thought to the back of her mind. She refocused on the page in front of her. The book droned on in a scientific, unfriendly tone.

She'd have preferred to study in her dorm room, but she really didn't want to be up there alone and if her friends were with her, she doubted she'd be able to accomplish anything.

So she sat by herself in a near empty library, trying to tune out the obnoxious girls sitting next to her, chattering loudly. If you wanted to talk, the library was _not_ the place to go. Or, upon seeing how deserted the room was, it would have been considerate to sit at one of the tables on the other side of the room, where no one was trying to study.

Sighing, Sophie shut the book. Psychology wasn't the issue; she'd been there for most of the class. Her other classes, however… Sophie honestly couldn't believe how much they'd covered, especially on the first day of the class. Her mathematics book mocked her as it peeked out of her bag. It was going to take a huge effort on her part to get up to speed.

Turning her gaze away from the books, she glanced around the room. There was a small, highly decorated mirror in one of the corners. Sophie couldn't understand why it had ever been placed there, but she assumed it had likely been in that spot forever and no one had bothered moving it.

The mirror flashed suddenly. Sophie blinked rapidly. It had to have been her imagination playing tricks on her. She was still worked up from yesterday's events.

She'd seen a face in the mirror. Again. Only this time, it was Selen. The face had only been there for a split second, but she'd recognized it. Sophie would never forget what the girl looked like. The face had been slightly different from Selen's, the eyes not quite the right shade of brown, but there was still no denying it.

She'd seen the face of a dead girl in that mirror.

Stumbling up from her seat, Sophie gathered her books, not bothering to put them back in her bag and ran from the library, not paying any attention to the looks other students gave her.

She didn't stop running until she reached the safety of her own dorm.

* * *

The next few weeks passed without incident. Their workload had steadily increased, much to their dismay, and the girls often found themselves confined to their room, busy with homework. Despite the fact that they were with each other more often than not, none of them tired of the constant company.

The only deeply troubling matter was a rumor concerning the four of them that had sprang up about a week into the semester. Word had gotten out that Selen was no longer at the school, and wild speculation ran amok. No one except Sophie and friends knew for sure that Selen was dead, so people were left to come up with their own explanations.

Someone had picked up on the fact that both Lera and Selen had been roommates with Sophie, Hikaru, Mei Mei, and Madoka, and that the four girls were friends from before coming to Starlight Academy. From there, whispers followed them in the hallway that the four of them had come up with a plan to get rid of their roommates. One girl swore up and down she heard Madoka and Sophie threatening Lera on the day she was attacked.

Luck was on their side, though, and nothing ever came of the rumors. None of the teachers ever called any of the girls aside to discuss them. From what they'd uncovered, it was clear something more than a student had been the one to go after the two victims. Unfortunately, the students were unaware of that fact. Some students would fearfully press up against one of the walls when one of the girls passed them.

Mei Mei complained that it made classes unnecessarily difficult when she needed to find a partner, while Hikaru simply joked that it conveniently made it so anyone annoying wouldn't dare approach them. Madoka was glad that her new friend Gingka hadn't bought into the hype, citing that there was no way Madoka could possibly be behind it because she was too nice to ever hurt anyone. He defended her anytime the conversation came up, something she highly appreciated.

Hikaru seemed unusually anxious for reasons the girls couldn't figure out. At first, they assumed it had been because of the rumor, but Hikaru always laughed about it, brushing it aside. She'd been a little distant since before it had popped up anyway, dating back to the day she'd allegedly fallen into the lake. They still hadn't gotten the full story, or any clue as to who she may have been with.

Sophie had avoided looking in any mirrors as much as she could, but no matter what, nameless faces continued to haunt her. She'd started using her phone's camera function to assist her in doing her makeup in the morning. If she was lucky, she'd be able to go a week without seeing anything. As it was, they showed up at least once a week. She'd chalked it up to her imagination at this point. The faces never fully matched up to anyone she knew. Even Selen's hadn't been entirely accurate.

One day, she thought she'd seen the face of one of the boys in her classes. After that, he had failed to show up to class. The teachers claimed he had left Starlight Academy, but Sophie couldn't shake the feeling that a sinister fate had befallen him.

Her friends were so absorbed in their own work and personal lives that they hadn't had much of a chance to talk. She hadn't bothered telling them about the other faces, not wanting to unnerve her friends any further. She figured if they were seeing them, it would've come up. Madoka had already been forthcoming when she'd seen the face in the bathroom weeks prior. Sophie was positive Madoka wouldn't have hidden seeing anything more.

The teachers definitely seemed to be enforcing the curfew more; Mei Mei had left late one night to try and get to the library, then came back a few minutes later, stating that the staff was patrolling the hallways.

Sophie wasn't surprised. At least the teachers were following through on what they'd said when Selen was found. The thought made her feel marginally safer, even if she didn't know what the real threat was.

The school had taken on a somber tone, at least that was what she was perceiving. The excitement had faded away. She supposed that was tied to the fact that school was now in full swing and there was less free time for everyone, but she couldn't ignore the idea that there was something more going on. Some days it felt like she was trapped in a prison.

Honestly, the only thing keeping her sane was-

Wales suddenly appeared in front of her as she glanced up from her textbook.

"Hey, Sophie," he smiled amicably, as he walked over to her table in the library.

"Hi," she smiled back, putting her books in her bag. She stood up. "Is it lunch time already?"

She and the others had long since given up trying to eat lunch together; their schedules were too busy and filled with too much work. Half the time, most of them weren't even there, instead either in the dorm or involved in a "project" of some sort. That was Hikaru's excuse ninety percent of the time. Sophie didn't know what the project was, but her eyes always narrowed every time Hikaru brought it up. Sophie was fairly certain Hikaru was not being entirely truthful with any of them. With most of them skipping out on lunch or only briefly running to the dining hall for a snack, Sophie had initially taken to spending the time getting work done. Now, she reserved lunch for hanging out with Wales.

They left the library. Sophie looked pointedly away from the mirror above the door.

"I forgot something in my dorm. Is it okay if we take a detour?" Wales asked. Sophie nodded. They made their way to the boys' dorm. She'd become good at navigating this particular part of the castle, confident she could have made it on her own if she had to.

The smell hit her before she saw where it was emanating from. She wrinkled her nose.

"What is that?"

Wales raised an eyebrow. "When you live with a group of boys, your sense of smell goes away after a while. It's probably nothing."

"No; it's really bad, whatever it is," Sophie shook her head. "It's coming from over there." She pointed to a door marked storage.

Ignoring the matter further, Sophie pressed on and waited outside the door to Wales's room. She looked around the corner. The storage room was now wide open. A few moments later, two people came out of it, carrying an absurdly large stretcher.

From where she stood, Sophie could see two bodies covered by a thin white sheet. She covered her mouth with her hand, retching. It didn't take a genius to realize what was going on.

Students were still dying.

She shuddered wondering how long those bodies had been left in the storage closet. The stench had now all but faded. How long did it take for a body to start decomposing for it to reek that badly?

They were no safer than they had been almost a month ago. Except now, the school was doing a much better job hiding it. They were doing body removal at times when students were less likely to be around as witnesses. Even with the uncomfortable vibe plaguing the school, it was possible to pretend the situation had improved since those first two deaths. How many students had died in the past few weeks that they didn't know about?

Sophie thought back to all the students who had "left" Starlight Academy in a rush due to family issues. One minute they were in class, the next they completely disappeared. It should've been obvious, but her subconscious mind refused to believe it, choosing to accept the lies the teachers fed the remaining students.

Sophie knocked on the door until Wales finally opened it.

"What-" He opened it, only to be cut off by Sophie flinging herself into his arms.

"We've got to get out of this school," she whispered.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?"

Sophie relayed what she had just seen. Wales paled, looking sickly.

"Is there even a way out of here?" Wales asked.

Sophie shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm calling my parents to pick me up." She already had her phone out, madly digging through her contacts for the number.

"Good luck with that," Wales frowned. "The service has been cutting out since yesterday. I haven't been able to get in contact with anyone outside of the school."

Sophie's finger stalled above the call button. She looked up at her service, and saw it was weak. Sophie's eyes widened. "You mean… We're really trapped here?"

His silence said it all.

* * *

Madoka paced back and forth through the dorm room. Sophie had been in earlier, an absolute nervous wreck, telling her that she'd seen two more students carried out on stretchers and that they were trapped at the school with no escape. The teachers certainly weren't going to do anything; if they were, the school would have been closed after Selen's death. Madoka couldn't focus on the chemistry notes on her desk any longer.

Madoka was about to break her own rules.

It was time to start exploring the castle again. There was no other option, the idea had been weighing on her mind for a while. She'd already talked to Gingka about it. He didn't seem too excited at the prospect of going back to the room with the pendulum axe, but he wasn't going to let her go alone.

When she met up with him, he was in the midst of downing a hamburger. Madoka rolled her eyes, stealing two of his fries despite his protests.

"Ready to go?" He lit up upon seeing her.

"Yup," Madoka assented.

It took over an hour to find the room, but she didn't care. Classes were irrelevant at this point; if she died it didn't matter if she learned what she was supposed to. More to the point, she was already ahead in the material for most of her classes. Gingka's grades would be the ones to suffer, though Madoka suspected he could have cared less.

The axe was still dangling from the ceiling, the same as they'd left it. She found it ironic that at least part of the danger was over. The axe couldn't fall on them a second time.

It didn't appear that anyone had been there since. No new footprints had shown up in the dust. Madoka recognized a mark from her own shoe. They lifted up the trap door. This time, Madoka noticed a small set of stairs against the wall and climbed down into the darkness using it. She took out her phone, using it as a flashlight. Gingka followed her lead seconds later.

As before when she'd been prepared to drop down and stuck her legs through the trap door, it got correspondingly colder as they reached the end of the stairs. The passage ahead was barely visible.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Gingka asked after they'd walked for a ways.

"There really isn't any turning back at this point," Madoka reminded him. Secretly, she took solace knowing the way back wasn't too far in easy running distance if it came down to it. There was no telling what was waiting for them.

"Where do you think this leads?"

Madoka answered Gingka's bombardment of questions one by one, if for no other reason than to keep her mind off the spooky corridor they were walking through and remind herself she wasn't alone. His close proximity was helping her to relax. She held tight to his hand.

She had no idea where they were. They were in the basement of the castle, that was for sure, and it didn't look like anyone had been down there in centuries. The dust in the room upstairs was nothing compared to soot caking the walls, projecting a gloomy atmosphere.

They'd already passed through the dungeon, much to Madoka's displeasure. Fortunately, there hadn't been anything too disturbing or much worth looking into, other than ancient and medieval torture devices alike. The iron maiden staring down at them had been particularly disconcerting. There had been a few bones, however, but they were so old Madoka was hardly bothered by them.

The hallway narrowed, then opened into a large room, filled with rows of great rectangular boxes. Somehow, the room seemed even quieter and more ominous than the deserted hallway they'd come through. Gingka walked over to one and began investigating it, wiping off the dust.

The shape of the boxes unnerved her, but Madoka couldn't place it. She was unsettled, unable to think clearly. Madoka tried to read the ancient writing, but was at a loss. It was too old and too faded to understand. Some of the symbols vaguely resembled numbers. Gingka started to push off the lid.

"Wait!" Madoka shouted. Gingka froze, looking at her inquisitively.

She looked at the room, at the number of boxes filling it. Something had seemed off when they'd entered in the room. At first, she hadn't been able to put her finger on it, but now she knew what it was. Those were definitely not innocent boxes surrounding them.

"Don't open it," Madoka closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "These are coffins. We're in a tomb."


	8. Frozen

**I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! I'm so sorry for the delay with uploading this chapter. December is just such a busy month, and I also had my Team Star Breaker story to work on, so unfortunately this story got placed on the back burner. I'm not even certain when I'll update this next because my schedule is packed until after New Year's, so I can't promise anything just yet. After that I _should_ be able to get back to more frequent updates. Plus, I'm coming into chapters that were written more recently, so they'll require less editing I'd like to think.**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing SailorCandy, I hope your question gets more or less answered in the first half of this chapter. Thanks to everyone sticking around to read as well! Chapter song- "Frozen" by Delain.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Instinctively, Madoka took a step back. She was all too relieved that she'd stopped Gingka before he'd had a chance to open the coffin, knowing she definitely wouldn't like what she saw inside. Somehow, they'd managed to find themselves in an old family crypt.

"What's a tomb doing down here?" Gingka asked, echoing her thoughts.

"Normally tombs like this are underneath a church or something. I don't know what it's doing here," Madoka answered honestly. "Do you know if there's a church anywhere around the castle?"

Gingka shrugged. "I haven't seen one. I don't think Kyoya has either, and he spends a lot of time outside. Same with Ryuga."

The castle had been brought over from Europe hundreds of years ago, Madoka mused. It easily stood to reason that when the transfer had been made the coffins could have been brought over as well, and placed in a new location. Perhaps moving the castle had been arduous enough, and the accompanying church was left behind. Or maybe there had never been a church in the first place, and the deep lower levels of the castle had always been home to a tomb. There was no way to tell.

Madoka started wiping dust off several other coffins. More than likely, the coffins all belonged to members of the same family, whoever had originally owned the castle.

"What are you doing?" Gingka watched her as she worked.

"I'm trying to find out the names on the coffins," Madoka responded. "It might give us some clues, or at the very least a new lead."

The section of the room they started in was undoubtedly the oldest, too difficult to read anything off the coffin. The wood was rotted through on some of them. Madoka made a concentrated effort not to look at the terrifying sight inside them that was now peeking out through openings in the decayed wood. Some coffins were made of stone.

Gingka began copying her. "This one's pretty clear!" He called. Madoka walked over to inspect it.

The first name was completely illegible, but Madoka was able to make out three of the letters on the coffin.

C. L. I.

The three letters were spread out from one another, the rest of the letters between and following them too damaged to properly make out. Madoka frowned. That didn't help at all. If that was what Gingka considered "clear", Madoka would be on her own in the search.

The start of the name was C, that was certain, but the other letters were anyone's guess.

Madoka brushed the dust off yet another coffin. The last letter was A, preceded by I. A strange feeling tingled in the pit of her stomach.

"The second letter is an 'E'!" Gingka called excitedly. Madoka wished she could channel his enthusiasm through her.

Unease filled Madoka. She had an idea of where this was heading. They made their way to the more recent coffins, ones only a few hundred years old, dating back before the castle had been moved from Scotland. The letters were much more legible here.

C. E. L. I. A.

A T became visible, followed by another E.

C. E. L. E. T. I. A.

The next coffin confirmed her suspicions. It was dated 1632-1651, and the name was completely visible once the dust had been fully wiped away.

CELESTIA.

Madoka felt numb. Even though she'd had a feeling this was the way things were going, she still took a step back when the answer slapped her in the face.

"Like Headmistress Celestia?" Gingka asked. Madoka nodded, unable to do anything else. "Did this castle belong to her family or something? Is she related to all these people?"

"What's Headmistress Celestia's first name?" Madoka asked, walking over to the final coffin in the room.

"I dunno," Gingka shrugged. "I thought Celestia was her first name. I didn't pay attention. Penelope, maybe? Does that sound right?"

Madoka blew the dust off the coffin. The birth date on the coffin was 1647. There was no year listed for the date of death. The name on the coffin was Penelope Celestia.

Madoka stumbled backwards. "Something is very, very wrong here." Snapping a picture of the coffin, she walked into the adjoining room. It was filled with wrappings, ancient bodies preserved forever in a method more archaic than the coffins. Just how old was the castle?

Her mind whirled. There had to be an answer for all of this, one that explained everything. Her nerves were so heightened she couldn't even begin to think clearly to attempt to put the pieces together. Terror raced through her veins.

"Let's head back, Madoka," Gingka said. "I don't like the looks of this place."

"Alright," Madoka relented.

Footsteps sounded throughout the floor, coming from the room with the coffins. Madoka froze, her eyes widening.

"What's someone doing down here?" Gingka whispered. Madoka looked at him anxiously.

They took off down the next room, as quickly but as quietly as they dared. Whoever was down there wasn't following them and presumably didn't know they were down there. They had that going for them at the moment. Madoka breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived.

They were stuck in the tombs alone, unsure of where they were, with no way out except the direction they had come from. A direction that now presented a problem in the form of another mystery person in the crypt with them.

Madoka was almost certain she knew who it was, and she was even more certain she knew they did not want to encounter that person down here.

She took Gingka's hand and had him follow her through the remainder of the crypt. Soon, the coffins and preserved wrappings were well behind them, and they were back in a corridor. Madoka found a set of stairs, and they used them to escape the lower level of the castle.

The path they were taking abruptly ended.

Madoka felt around the wall, trying to locate a way out. She pushed against the wall. To her surprise, it moved slightly. She tried pushing forward, but it was too heavy, even with Gingka's help.

An idea forming in her head, she pushed it to the right instead. The wall slid past them, revealing a small alcove filled with bookshelves. The two of them exited the path. Madoka pulled the wall back into its original position, concealing the hallway once more.

She walked past the bookshelves, and peered around the corner.

"We're in the forbidden section of the library," she realized with surprise.

"How did-" Gingka frowned.

"It looks like we found your secret passage after all, Gingka."

The two of them made sure no one was paying any attention before sneaking out of the forbidden section. They left the library, no one giving them a passing glance. Finally safe, Madoka allowed herself to breathe easy again.

That had been close- too close. There was no telling what would have happened to them if they had gotten caught in the crypt.

"Where do we go from here?" Concern was written across Gingka's face.

Madoka opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Realization hit her as she discovered she was equally as lost as him. Where did they go, indeed.

Instead of finding answers, all they'd found were more questions.

* * *

She was lying to herself if she said it didn't bother her.

Chao Xin was sitting at one of the lunch tables, surrounded by his harem. He had his arms around two different girls.

Ever since they had decided exploring the castle was out of the question, Mei Mei hadn't seen much of him. She'd made efforts to go in the opposite direction whenever she saw Chao Xin. She wasn't exactly sure why she was doing it, but once she'd snubbed him a few times, he seemed to get the hint. It wasn't like they were friends anyway. The two of them had just happened to run into each other a few times and they'd explored the castle together. It didn't mean anything.

The situation seemed to have calmed down since then, but Sophie had sent her a message earlier, explaining that nothing had changed. The situation was the same as it had been those first few days. The school wasn't safe.

They had just deluded themselves into believing it was.

She turned away, dumping her food in the trash. Watching Chao Xin with the other girls was the last thing she needed. Her mood had already dropped low enough.

Mei Mei was walking to her dorm room when she got the distinct feeling that she was being followed. She sped up, not looking behind her. Getting nervous, she took a few unintentional turns, only wanting to get away from whomever was behind her.

It didn't take long for her to get lost.

Mei Mei hadn't been paying attention, and she still didn't know the layout of the castle all that well despite the weeks that had passed. She figured she was somewhere near the classrooms. Classrooms did come into view a second later, but she didn't recognize any of them; she didn't have any classes on the first floor.

Regaining her composure, Mei Mei kept going, walking purposefully. She couldn't believe she hadn't passed any other students. They couldn't all be in the dining hall at the same time. It had been nearly five minutes since she'd left the dining hall, and three since she had first thought she was being followed. There had to be others nearby.

Remembering the text she had received earlier about the two students, Mei Mei's heartbeat quickened.

She didn't want to end up like them.

A twinge of adrenaline kicked in. Mei Mei was full on sprinting now; the person following her wasn't planning on giving up anytime soon. It was easy to hear them keeping pace behind her in the silence of the corridor. She didn't have any idea who it was, but she knew she didn't want to find out. Sophie's text spun around and around in her mind. Sophie and Madoka weren't the only ones who had seen the faces in the mirror; Mei Mei had seen her fair share, too, and they scared her. She'd recognized several of them from her classes. Mei Mei didn't want to join them in that strange oblivion, whatever it was.

She was starting to get tired, but she didn't dare slow down. She headed up a flight of stairs, hoping there she would find herself in a familiar area. If she could get to classrooms she actually recognized, or her own dorm, maybe then she would be safe. From there she could easily navigate the halls back to her room. One of her friends had to be up in the room. It might not stop the person, but there was safety in numbers.

Almost immediately, she realized she'd taken a wrong turn. She was near the boys' dorms, on the exact opposite side of the castle. She cursed inwardly. There was no turning around, and she didn't think the castle looped to the girls' dorms. If they did, she was destined to end up in an unfamiliar, likely off-limits part of the castle regardless. Finding her way was going to be near impossible.

She passed a few boys, their presence helping to calm her, but she still felt alone.

The footsteps were quieter now, as if the person was allowing some distance between them. Mei Mei still didn't feel like she was out of danger yet, though. A door opened, and someone motioned her inside.

Scared, but feeling there was no other choice, she obeyed. Besides, Mei Mei had recognized those eyes the moment the door had opened. Chao Xin shut the door behind her and she finally felt safe for the moment in his dorm room.

"What are you doing?" Chao Xin asked.

Mei Mei caught her breath. "Someone was following me," she responded with hesitation, unsure of how he would react.

Chao Xin stared at her. "Who?"

Mei Mei shook her head. "I have no idea. I was on my way to my dorm when I heard footsteps."

"Are you sure it wasn't your imagination?" He sounded skeptical. Mei Mei had been afraid of that.

"Yes! Whoever it was followed me all the way here."

"Hmm."

Mei Mei deflated inside. "You don't believe me?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's not that- it's- ever since we stopped hanging out, I haven't noticed anything weird. Maybe we were looking too deep into it. Maybe it only seemed weird because we thought something was off, and we wanted to prove everything happening wasn't all in our head. We jumped to conclusions too quickly."

Mei Mei felt an aching in her throat. "So you don't believe me."

"I never said-"

Mei Mei held up her hands. "It's okay, it's whatever. You've clearly made up your mind," she said harshly, reaching back for the door handle. "But don't try to tell me there wasn't something strange about those footsteps we found and that room with the astrological stuff."

"I'm not saying-"

She placed her hands on her hips, feeling confident. "And by the way, we're not safe. Sophie saw two more dead students earlier. They were covered by a sheet and whoever was dragging them out was doing their best not be seen. They're trying to hide something from us, and up until now they've been doing a pretty good job."

"What? Are you seri-" Chao Xin's phone went off, cutting into their conversation.

Mei Mei caught a glimpse of the name on it, rolling her eyes disdainfully. "It seems you're busy, so I'll let you be. It was a mistake coming in here."

"You'd rather whoever was following you catch you?" Chao Xin said in disbelief.

Mei Mei stared at him. "Oh, so now you believe me? Okay, I see how it is. Why don't you just go talk to Chelsea or whatever her name is and forget I was ever here. Obviously this whole thing means nothing to you." She placed her hand on the door handle again, turning it slightly.

Seconds later, Mei Mei found herself up against the wall, Chao Xin blocking her escape with his arms. She ducked and slid to the left under his arm. Chao Xin made no effort to stop her, instead stepping back toward one of the beds and folding his arms. Mei Mei glanced at the door, but didn't walk any closer to it.

"You think I wanted to stay away from you? You think I like those girls I hang out with? There's nothing to them; they're silly, brainless. All I have to do is look in their direction and they fawn all over me. A little harmless flirting is fine, but that's all. If I wanted to have a serious conversation with any of them, it would be a lost cause," he said. "I had no idea what was going on; you stopped talking to me and started avoiding me. I figured you wanted to forget about it."

"We didn't think it was safe to keep exploring," Mei Mei whispered. "But I don't think we have a choice anymore."

"You should've told me."

"Would it have changed anything?" Mei Mei looked away.

"Yeah, it would've."

"But we're too different. It doesn't matter," Mei Mei barely managed to get the words out. She knew exactly where this conversation was going. They definitely weren't talking about sneaking around the castle anymore.

"That didn't stop us before."

Before she could really grasp the situation, Mei Mei felt his lips, warm against hers, and she didn't resist. She knew it was exactly what she really wanted. It'd shocked her at first, but she allowed herself to accept the kiss and gave into her own desires. She'd known she'd liked him from the moment she had first seen him; she'd just refused to believe it.

She kissed him back, unsure of what was to come, unsure of what she was doing, but living in the moment as much as she could.

* * *

Hikaru ran her hand through her hair, nervously awaiting his arrival.

It'd been _days_ since she'd last seen Ryuga, something she wasn't accustomed to. At first, she'd been scared something terrible had transpired. It wasn't like him to vanish for days on end, though he wasn't around much to begin with. Then, fortunately, he'd shown up at lunch yesterday and she finally was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Even if they hadn't been exploring as much as he wanted to the past few weeks, Hikaru not wanting to stray too far from her friends wishes about getting themselves into trouble, they'd still been close. Maybe too close, if she was honest with herself.

Last she had heard from him, he thought he had found something in one of the closed off sections of the castle. Hikaru had been nervous, afraid something would happen to him. The latest revelation from Sophie wasn't helping, part of the reason why she was anxious to keep him so close.

"I'm here." She heard the voice before she saw him, jumping at the sound as she turned around. Ryuga leaned up against one of the ancient statues, looking amused.

"You shouldn't go around sneaking up on people like that," she said hotly, trying to conceal her smile.

"You made it too easy," Ryuga sidled up beside her. "What's the plan?"

"I don't know," Hikaru fidgeted slightly. "What were you thinking? You're the one who's been exploring, not me."

"True," Ryuga sat down against the wall, motioning for Hikaru to join him. "That lead I had turned out to be a dead end. I'm out of options at this point."

"We're back to square one, then," she surmised.

Ryuga stretched his legs out in front of him. "Pretty much. There's no sign that my brother was ever here. I even checked out some of the books in the library. They have a couple of case books from when people were visiting the castle and exploring it after the school first closed, but there aren't any records from two years ago."

"Unless they're keeping them in the office. They're newer. They probably keep them handy for reference," Hikaru tried to sound optimistic.

"Maybe. Or maybe they don't exist," Ryuga said thoughtfully. "And if that's the case, there's got to be a reason behind it."

"What are you going to do?"

Ryuga took a deep breath. "I want to go back to the lake." Hikaru went rigid.

"What? Why? I told you, that place is no good. Why would you ever want to go back there?" She tried to keep herself from sounding shrill.

"I feel like something's there. I don't have a choice."

Hikaru bit her lip. "Something's _wrong_ with that lake. We don't know what it is. Going back there is way too dangerous. Didn't you see the drawing on the wall? It was trying to tell us something, I'm sure of it. And the lake was right in the middle of whatever it was supposed to be depicting."

"Maybe that's a sign that we _should_ be checking the lake out. There might be something out there."

"I don't know." Hikaru pressed her hand through her hair again, trying to smooth it down. "I feel still like what we saw was a warning. I'm sure there's other places we could check first, before we risk going back."

"I didn't say you had to come," Ryuga glanced at the ceiling. "To be honest, I'd prefer if you didn't. This is something I have to do on my own."

Hikaru felt her throat grow tight. "What do you mean?"

"This isn't working. It's too dangerous. I don't want anyone else getting hurt, especially if I find out what happened to my brother. It's-it's not looking good, Hikaru. Even if I managed to find out the truth… It's probably not going to be pretty. I sure as hell won't like it."

The words roared through her ears like faraway waves. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself despite that fact she felt she was slipping away. It was dizzying. She was drowning, going under fast as the sentences rushed above her head, forcing her deeper.

She blinked fast and brought herself out of the illusion. Hikaru sprang to her feet, unable to grasp what she was hearing. "Are you saying…" She fought hard to keep her voice level, to not let him know how he was affecting her. "You don't want me around anymore?"

His gold eyes stared back at her, unblinking. "I don't have a choice. I shouldn't have gotten you involved in the first place."

She couldn't take it any longer. Barely taking a second glance at the boy still sitting on the floor, she took off down the hallway, desperate to get as much space between herself and him as she could. Did he honestly think she could forget what had happened between them? It was impossible. How could he put it behind him so easily?

Hikaru ran. Clearly, she didn't mean anything to him. If she had, he wouldn't have been able to toss her aside without a second thought when she'd expressed her concerns about his chancy plan. Hikaru had gotten herself too involved without thinking about the consequences, and now they were blowing up right in her face. Ryuga's main goal was to find his brother; it shouldn't have come as a shock that he was placing that above all else, including whatever flimsy friendship the two of them had been forming.

She'd spent the past few days worrying, stressing over what could have happened to him while he was exploring the castle. Their school wasn't safe anymore, not that it had really been in the first place, but the situation was growing much more dire.

Now he was cutting off ties with her, leaving her on her own to deal with what was to come. She still had her friends of course, but the four of them had grown distant, each absorbed in their work and own commitments. Ryuga had provided her with an escape from that. A welcome distraction.

And now he was gone, too.

Distraught, she made her way to the dining hall. Sophie was sitting at the table, talking with Wales. Out of options, she sat down next to them. Sophie looked at her in surprise.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "Your eyes looked red."

Hikaru blinked, trying to force back the tears that were threatening. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Sophie looked at her skeptically. "What just happened?"

"I don't even know anymore. I want to go home. This school has brought us nothing but pain," she said softly.

Sophie gave her a small smile. "We don't have a choice. We're stuck here." Wales looked on sympathetically.

She hated that it had come to this. They all acted as though they had no control over any of this, like they were sitting ducks just waiting to be shot. She refused to go down without a fight.

Now that the shock of Ryuga deciding to go his own way had worn off, she could finally think clearly. Anger and fervent determination replaced sadness and loss, filled with a burning desire to break down every barrier in her way. Hikaru firmly believed there was something they could do to break free from the cage they'd found themselves trapped in. If Ryuga so strongly held he could find out what happened to his brother, then Hikaru was equally convinced she could do something about their current situation.

Hikaru stared out the window resolutely. "I'm going to find a way out. I won't let this be the end." She stood up. "If you need me, I'll be in my dorm."

Hikaru had barely made it out of the dining hall before her tears began falling freely. She barely noticed them. She didn't care who saw her; she had made up her mind. Nothing was going to stop her. She was on a mission.

If Ryuga thought he could cast her aside that easily, he was wrong. She was too involved now. Giving up was easy. Once she found a way out of the castle, he was coming with her. Same with all of her friends. They wouldn't become victims to Starlight Academy.

But first, she had some research to do.


	9. Me Against the World

**Putting in late hours to get this chapter up in a timely fashion. :P Hope everyone is having a wonderful new year so far! Thanks to SailorCandy, Guest, and Guest for their reviews! SailorCandy, in response to your review on my other story, there is totally a Valentine's Day oneshot coming. Get ready for Jack's antics. XD Guest #1, I can't guarantee I'll be updating my Halloween story; I seriously apologize for that. Whenever I try to think of how to continue my mind goes blank. I wish my writing had been better back when I wrote my Pretty Little Liars MFB fic cause then it could be a prequel to that, but I know that wouldn't do the oneshot justice. On another note, I'm glad you like how the relationships in this are progressing. And Guest #2, there will be fight scenes, I can promise that.**

 **"Me Against the World" by Simple Plan, my childhood favorite band, is the chapter title. I have the lead guitarist's signature tattooed on my ribcage, because why not.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

This was the last time Sophie was ever going to listen to one of Hikaru's far-fetched ideas, especially ones that involved sneaking out in the middle of the night.

Sure, she had agreed to go along with it, but in the eerie darkness of the castle after midnight, seconds thoughts were creeping in hard and fast.

The four girls stood crouched beneath a dimly lit torch light in an empty corridor that jutted off in multiple directions, holding their breath. If anyone caught them, they would be dead meat. Of course, as bad as it was being caught by one of the staff members, nothing could come close to the grisly fate several of their classmates had already met. Compared to that horrifying outcome, running into a teacher was nothing.

Sophie shuddered. The last thing she wanted was for this to be her final night.

"What are-"

"Shhh!" Hikaru waved frantically. "We just need to get into the office."

"I know that," Mei Mei complained. "I just don't understand why we have to split up."

"Someone has to keep an eye out for anyone coming down the halls," Madoka reasoned.

"I know, but this is just _such_ a bad-"

"Shhh!" Hikaru shushed her again. "Mei Mei, you go guard the left hall. Madoka, you take the right. Sophie, stay here and make sure no one gets into the office."

They took their positions amid some grumbling. Sophie understood why they needed to do this in the middle of the night when no one was around, but she sincerely wished there was a way they could do this during the daytime. Granted, people would be everywhere, but there had to be a time when people weren't flocking around the office. Or, even better, more people in the office might make it less noticeable while they were digging into things they shouldn't be.

Hikaru twisted the door handle, and much to her surprise, it was unlocked. The hinges creaked as Hikaru slowly pulled the door open, filling the night with their sound. Hikaru winced, praying desperately that the noise didn't carry before looking back at the door with mild confusion. She arched an eyebrow at Sophie.

"Weird," she breathed. "But there's no time to question it. I'll be back." She slipped into the room.

Sophie watched as she closed the door quietly behind her. At least that had been easier than anticipated, for better or for worse. They didn't need to wrestle with the lock using bobby pins they'd brought along, wasting time.

Sophie wasn't entirely clear on the reasons Hikaru had for wanting to get into the office. Sophie hadn't seen her since she marched out of the dining hall, but suddenly Hikaru had burst into the dorm room, announcing her plan. The other girl had been fairly vague about her intentions, however she did mention there was probably a phone in there, or at the very least information about where they were and the surrounding area.

That had been enough to convince her. If there was any chance of getting out of this spooky school, Sophie was game.

It hadn't taken much to convince anybody in the end, even if they didn't fully understand why they were doing this. Nobody was comfortable spending any more time in the nightmare prison their school had become and if what Hikaru found could help them escape, they were willing to take their chances. They agreed it was best to try it shortly after midnight, when everybody was supposed to be asleep in their dorms, but it wasn't completely unlikely for a few students to be out wandering around. If it came down to it, they would hopefully be able to talk themselves out of any trouble that came their way.

If they did get caught, it would be less difficult to justify than if they were found out at two or three in the morning. Hikaru had come up with a relatively convincing cover story in the event something did happen. Sophie could only hope they wouldn't have to use it.

If they got caught breaking into the main office, Sophie wasn't sure they'd be able to get off that easy regardless of the cover story. Madoka and Mei Mei were watching, though. They would alert the girls to any presence before it got to that point. Hikaru could escape the room before anyone knew she had ever been in there.

Still, that thought didn't keep Sophie's heart from pounding in her chest as she tightened her hands into fists. Hikaru had better make this quick. She was starting to feel highly unsettled. Unease slithered into her veins.

The later they stayed, the more likely something was to happen.

The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow. Every sound, every minor creak in the hall put Sophie more on edge. She never heard footsteps, but that didn't do anything to alleviate the feeling that she was being watched.

She could hear Mei Mei shifting off to the left. The flashlight she was using on her phone snapped off in an instant. Mei Mei took a few steps toward Sophie in the darkness. Sophie tensed.

"Is something- someone down there?" Sophie winced at her word choice.

"I don't think so," Mei Mei whispered back. "But we need to get out of-" The other girl fell silent.

"Mei Mei?" Sophie asked fearfully. Terror seeped in in the deep quiet.

Several seconds passed before she got a response.

"I see a light." Sophie could hear Mei Mei walking back to her carefully. "It was at the end of the hall and turned off in a different direction, but someone's out here."

Sophie nodded, surprisingly calm considering the panic she felt. "It's probably just another student. Nothing for us to be worried about, anyway. Let's go."

Hikaru stepped out of the office. "I'm good. I could hear you guys talking out here. We need to go."

They collected Madoka from her position by the right hallway, and made their way back to the dorms on cat's feet, moving only as quickly as they dared.

They never saw the light Mei Mei had mentioned, but like before, Sophie couldn't shake the sensation they were being watched.

Once in the safety of Sophie and Madoka's dorm, they collapsed on the beds. They had yet to figure out a way for the four of them to properly fit in a dorm designed for three, but Sophie had a feeling that for tonight at least everyone would be spending the remainder of the early morning hours together in the comfort of all their presences.

Even if the rooms were right near each other, going back out into the hall was a definite no.

There had been no issues on the way back, but knowing that someone had been out there with them, even if they weren't necessarily a threat, was terrifying. With everything going on, suspicion surrounded anyone out that late, no matter who they were. Sophie was incredibly grateful they had been able to make it back without incident. The image of Selen started to sneak back into her mind. Her stomach curdled.

"What did you find?" Mei Mei sat perched on the edge of Madoka's bed.

Hikaru tried to smile, but it came across as forced. "Not much, really. I tried the phone, but it kept dropping my calls. Don't worry," she added, noticing the nervous expression on Madoka's face. "I erased all the outgoing calls. There's no evidence we were ever in there. I didn't try calling anyone specific who could be linked to us either, just information, that sort of thing."

"So what did you find?" Sophie asked, trying not to let her dismay show despite the less than stellar news. After all of that, Hikaru _had_ to have found something. It would be so disheartening if they'd taken the risk for nothing.

Hikaru's face fell and she shrugged. "Not much. As far as I could tell from the map left on the desk, we're pretty far off the grid. I didn't see anything indicating a nearby town."

Madoka frowned. "I don't remember seeing many buildings on the way in either. We're a good distance from the highway, so that would probably be our best bet for finding other people."

"But we're miles away from the highway and who knows who we'd encounter even if we did make it to the highway without issue. It's not like we can guarantee the first person we find would be trustworthy and willing to help us," Mei Mei broke in.

"Exactly," Hikaru concurred. "T-This confirms it. We're stuck here."

Stark silence met the statement as reality soaked in.

"What do we do?" Mei Mei asked finally, her voice barely a whisper.

"I don't think there's anything we can do," Sophie responded just as quiet. "I don't want to look into this either. I feel like that would just get us into trouble faster."

Madoka looked thoughtful. "It _is_ dangerous exploring the castle. But we might be able to find answers that way… It's a double-edged sword."

Footsteps suddenly echoed down the hall. Mei Mei sprang from the bed and shut off the light. It didn't matter who was out there. They were too shaken to take any chances.

As the girls settled into sleeping arrangements in the overcrowded dorm, they were left to muse their own opinion whether or not it was worth the risk in silence.

Sophie considered the idea. Every time she thought about searching the castle all she could see was Selen's mutilated body. Then it morphed into Wales' and finally her own. Sophie shut her eyes.

There was no way she could look for answers in the castle. The others had already tried, and it had proved to be too dangerous. Madoka had nearly been killed by an ages-old trap no one had triggered in hundreds of years. She out of all of them should understand the danger most. In all that time, not a single other person had come across it. There was no telling what else waited for them if they decided to take any chances.

She was safer pretending nothing was wrong. She couldn't justify deliberately looking for trouble.

Blissful ignorance. In this situation, that was the best option. If she didn't search for dead students, she wouldn't find dead students.

Sophie knew that logic was wrong, horribly flawed, but she was too unwilling to face the truth. Until she had come up with a surefire plan, she wasn't going to do anything to put herself in the line of fire.

The footsteps stopped in front of their dorm room. Sophie's insides felt like ice.

Almost as soon as they had stopped they picked up again, a steady _clip-clop_ fading off into the distance, leaving her to wonder if it had all been in her mind.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Madoka awoke to sunlight filtering in through the window of her dorm. She sat up, stretching, then surveyed the room.

Sophie and Mei Mei were still fast asleep, but Hikaru was nowhere to be seen.

Under the circumstances, Madoka normally would have been worried. Hikaru disappearing without saying anything may not be as innocent as Madoka hoped normally, but Madoka was certain Hikaru had left this morning of her own accord with a plan in mind.

Hikaru had been looking for something last night, she was sure of that. She hadn't broken into the office just to check the phones or look for the map. Hikaru was definitely up to something that she felt she needed to hide from the others. Madoka could only hope it wouldn't come back to bite her.

Speaking of, Madoka hadn't exactly told her friends everything if she was being truthful, another reason she wasn't pushing Hikaru for all the details the way she usually would have to make sure she had all the information. It would've been too hypocritical.

Madoka initially intended to tell the other girls about her adventure in the crypt with Gingka, but had yet to get around to doing so. She was still shaken up by it and whatever the connection to Headmistress Celestia was. Telling the others was the obvious thing to do.

Of course, that might freak them out even further. Everybody was already so tense telling them about the coffins in the basement of the school might only serve to make things worse.

Maybe, for the moment, she would keep quiet about it. At least until she knew more, anyway. For all she knew, she was overreacting and there was more to the story than she realized. That had to be the case. If she was going to solve anything, Madoka first needed to find out more about the Celestia family history with a clear head on her shoulders. Maybe Headmistress Celestia had an ancestor with the same first name as her. That seemed reasonable, and much more rational than the wild ideas running through her mind about the casket with no death date.

Although, finding records on the Celestia family was going to be easier said than done. Trying to find anything online was a lost cause, not that she wouldn't check there just in case, and even in the library there was unlikely going to be personal information about the leader of the school.

An idea struck Madoka. She wasn't likely to find the answers she was looking for there, but the forbidden section of the library might answer some other questions. Why would students be restricted from seeing those books in the first place?

The library was busy as ever, with classes in full swing after the first few introductory weeks and breakfast ending. Madoka gritted her teeth. If only it was Monday instead of Saturday. Then the majority of students would be too busy with class to be here. A large group of girls was clustered around something.

Madoka quickly realized the "something" was none other than Chao Xin. She noted with surprise he looked rather annoyed at all of the attention as he made his way to the exit, fangirls following close barely giving him room to breathe.

She tried to ignore them, pretending to be invested in a random book she picked off a nearby shelf. At least they were leaving. The volume in the library was about to drop substantially.

Someone was waiting for him outside the door. Madoka gasped, nearly dropping the book she was holding.

Brushing the girls around him aside, Chao Xin put his arm around the girl waiting for him. Normally, Madoka wouldn't have been surprised by this action, except for one striking detail. Mei Mei was the girl.

Mei Mei, of all people, was with him? Madoka could have sworn just a few weeks ago the girl had scoffed at the sight of all the girls surrounding him. The four of them had written him off as a player, and said nothing more on the subject since. Mei Mei was way too smart to become another one of nameless girls he went through week after week. So what was she doing _with_ him?

Madoka shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts and refocus.

She'd have plenty of time to ask Mei Mei about what she just witnessed later. Madoka needed to seize the opportunity while she could. Granted, she might not like a full library, but it would keep the librarians busy and out of her way as they tended to the rest of the patrons.

Madoka made it unnoticed to her goal. There weren't any students even close to her. Not that she was surprised. The books seemed to become less interesting and relevant the further back they were.

Still, she didn't have a lot of time. Soon enough, someone would wander over this way. In a place like this, that was a given. The main shelves were right nearby.

The first thing Madoka noticed was how old the majority of the books looked. Some of them were in foreign languages, too. Several of them looked like they might even be in Latin or ancient Greek as she flipped through the pages. She stared at the unfamiliar letters swirling on the pages.

From the ones she could read, they didn't appear to be anything special. Most of them she couldn't fully understand to begin with. There was one that appeared to be a novel. Another was about European plants.

She took one book from each shelf. It didn't seem like they were organized in any particular way, but if they were it was best to be as thorough as possible in the little time she had.

Madoka put a sixth book back on its shelf. She waved the air, trying not to cough at all the dust that had been kicked up.

It was strange… Why keep all these books separate from the others? Students wouldn't even be able to understand them, let alone read them. Were they just being kept apart because they were older?

That could be it. The books weren't in the greatest condition. Letting students have access to them might cause further damage.

Madoka groaned inwardly. She was definitely looking too far into this, but at the same time, she felt like she was missing something. For an off-limits section, the books weren't anything compared to what she'd been expecting.

Granted, Madoka hadn't known what she was expecting in the first place. It wasn't like she'd find anything on dark magic or something along those lines. That was totally ridiculous. Just because weird, unexplainable things were happening didn't mean they were tied to the supernatural. That was hardly believable. Something still felt off, though.

Madoka's eyes widened. She quickly walked away from the forbidden section to consider her latest revelation before anyone could catch her just standing there lost in thought.

The so-called forbidden section was not difficult to access. If a librarian had caught her in there, Madoka was certain she'd be in trouble, but at the same time she didn't feel like she had done anything by looking through the volumes. She hadn't uncovered anything secretive. The books were either ones in foreign languages or were otherwise fairly mundane. They weren't that special, besides being extremely old. That might've made them rare, requiring them to be safely preserved and out of the way of reckless teenagers, but other than that…

So if the books were only there because they were old, she deduced, then were there other books? Books that would be more difficult to obtain because students shouldn't be anywhere near them? Ones that held information they weren't supposed to know about?

Before, Madoka would have thought she was being paranoid and heavily overthinking things. Now, she wasn't so sure.

Starlight Academy was most assuredly keeping its fair share of secrets. What was another collection of books no one even knew about hidden away? The ones in the library could be nothing more than a cover-up. The school was sure to have more old books, probably on topics they wouldn't want students reading. By having a "fake" forbidden section, it would dissuade anyone from looking for the real thing. The so-called forbidden section also housed the entrance to the secret passage leading down to the crypt, perhaps the real reason for wanting to keep students away from it by using the books as a diversion.

On a whim, Madoka went to the astrology section. The school put a large emphasis on that subject for some reason.

It didn't take Madoka long to confirm her suspicions as she cast another book aside. The majority of the books had been published within the last decade.

Mei Mei had told her about a room up in one of the towers with a telescope and old star charts. Those had been tucked away into secrecy; Mei Mei had only stumbled upon them by accident.

If the school was putting so much into this subject, then it would make sense for them to have more books on it, specifically older ones that would help students learn about the entire history of it from as far back as possible. The collection of old books in the forbidden section was fairly extensive; shouldn't they have a prize collection of early books about the cosmos?

Not one of the ones Madoka had picked up even remotely mentioned stars, now that she thought about it. There weren't any old star charts in the library or other related historical documents.

Come to think of it, there hadn't been any old books concerning the school. Shouldn't it be boasting its centuries old history and its early days after being brought over from Europe? Even its time as a school a hundred years ago shouldn't be as vague as it was. She was at the castle itself, where it should have been easiest to find those answers. When she had been trying to learn about it for her class project, she'd only found limited basic information available.

She didn't even know the original name of the castle. Supposedly, it had been from Scotland originally, but what if that wasn't true either?

Madoka looked at the shelves grimly. She had come here on a hunch to learn about the Celestia family. That hadn't worked out, but now she had a new lead.

Celestia, Starlight Academy, the telescope… They all had one glaring thing in common, but for the life of her Madoka couldn't connect the dots.

There were still too many missing pieces.


	10. Phantom Amour

**Not much to say this time, but I managed to get the chapter up a little quicker! Thank you to Guest and Guest for reviewing. Shout out to everyone else who has been sticking around to read as well.** **Chapter song is "Phantom Amour" by Toothgrinder.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Mei Mei was starting to get really worried about Madoka and Hikaru.

Ever since the night Hikaru dragged them all out of bed into the pitch-black halls around midnight to break into the main office, something hadn't been right. The two girls had barely been around.

Sure, Mei Mei was spending her fair share of time away from everyone else, but it was different. At least, it felt different. She still had yet to tell her friends about whatever it was going on between her and Chao Xin, but she was okay with that. She wasn't entirely sure herself what was going on in all honesty. She didn't want to bring it up to them and have everyone get excited for her only for it all to fall apart. And anyway, she and her friends still ate lunch and dinner together whenever possible, so it wasn't as though she was cutting them off entirely from her life.

Besides, Mei Mei didn't want to spend too much time out in public with Chao Xin so openly. It drew too much attention. She didn't mind the other girls idolizing him as much anymore, but when they constantly shot daggers at her it was a little unnerving. Sitting by him at lunch would only attract more unwarranted stares.

Probably because she was the only girl he'd shown interest in for more than a day…

That was beside the point, though. Hikaru and Madoka were undoubtedly sneaking around the school again during their free time. There was no other explanation for their sudden absences. They weren't alone either. Mei Mei had been inclined to do a little searching herself.

Mainly, she primarily wanted to find her way back to the tower she and Chao Xin had found. It was dangerous, but maybe they had overlooked something before.

There was clearly a reason the telescope and maps had been hidden away up there. For all she knew, one of the other star charts held more information, perhaps even clues to help unravel what was really happening. She needed to get back there as soon as possible to thoroughly look through the room and closely examine its contents.

Except, things weren't going as well as she hoped. She'd given up after a few days of fruitless searching. Before, they'd followed a trail of footprints, but since then the floors had been wiped clean. She was left to her own devices to find the way, a near impossible task with so many corridors jutting off everywhere she looked. Every time she went into off-limits areas, there was a strange sense of foreboding that permeated the air. She wanted to run back to the safety of the inhabited parts of the castle, but she had to press on if she wanted to find anything.

Unfortunately, she wasn't finding anything. Mei Mei had been forced to give up the search time and time again to focus on schoolwork. Besides, looking by herself wasn't any fun. It was scary and uncomfortable.

Those reasons were the cause of the concern she had for her friends. It was dangerous to go out by themselves. They were clearly doing this on their own; no one else was with them. Neither of them had mentioned anyone else, barring that one guy Gingka who Madoka had hung out with a little at the beginning of the year. She hadn't really talked about him since. Hikaru had never brought up anyone, guy or girl. Mei Mei wished the two would team up so if nothing else they could watch each other's backs.

Sophie had made it clear she was not looking any deeper into it. Despite that, Mei Mei got the feeling Sophie was still keeping an eye out for anything unusual.

Like Sophie herself told them, it never hurt to be prepared.

Mei Mei wanted to breach the subject with Chao Xin, but she strongly suspected he had no desire to go back to the tower. Realistically, she couldn't blame him. Even when she pushed, he only relented a little. Yesterday, she thought she might have had a breakthrough, but he told her he wouldn't have time to go looking with her until next weekend. That wasn't nearly soon enough for what she had in mind.

She had to face it. He just wasn't as interested in it as she was.

Mei Mei peered down the hallway leading to the north wing. She sighed. Somehow she always ended up down here.

She knew, just as the other days, today she would walk past it, ignoring the urge to explore.

* * *

Hikaru wanted out of the castle bad, but the chances of that were getting slimmer and slimmer.

Sneaking into the office late at night hadn't taught her anything new. If anything, it had been a massive waste of time and incredibly risky at that. She'd put not only her own life in peril, but the lives of her three best friends, too.

Hikaru hated to admit it, but she wasn't thinking clearly at this point.

Ryuga pushing her away had been a major blow that she was not prepared to deal with. The last few days felt like the floor had been abruptly and violently ripped out from underneath her. She had yet to regain her footing.

She had gone into that office for Ryuga, whether she wanted to admit it or not. She definitely wasn't admitting it to her friends, that was a given. She couldn't begin to think of an excuse to justify that. She hadn't even mentioned him once to them. How could she tell them she'd put them each of them in danger all for a guy? They wouldn't understand, and she couldn't blame them. She could already see the disappointed looks on their faces.

She did find the map and test out the phone for everyone's sake, though. While they didn't work out in their favor, it was still a step forward. Hikaru now had a better understanding of the area they were in, even if the conditions weren't all that favorable to them. They were surrounded by trees, and if nothing else, trees were good for cover. Although the enemy, whoever that may be, probably knew that, too, she mused.

Her real goal in getting into the office was to find records of the events that happened here two years ago.

As Ryuga had posited, there was nothing. Hikaru was beginning to strongly believe his theory that they didn't exist. Granted, she hadn't had much time to search around the office, but the file cabinets had been her main focus. She'd also flipped through documents on the computer as quickly as she could, given the restraints she was under. Hikaru was positive she would have found something had it been there. The fact that the office door hadn't even been locked should have clued Hikaru in that there was nothing of any importance to be found there. Confidential information wouldn't be left lying around where anyone could access it.

Despite all these dead ends, Hikaru had to believe there was something out there. Steps had to be taken so that people would have been able to visit the castle, right? Random people didn't just start showing up at the school. Ryuga had told her a group had been selected to explore it. There was planning involved, and if that was the case there was undoubtedly evidence of it.

Clearly, that evidence was being kept away somewhere.

She'd continued to look around the school, even in the classrooms, for anything that might help, but to no avail. She skipped classes to sneak into empty rooms, spending her time breaking into teachers' desks and digging through all their papers.

Hikaru groaned and hopped off her bed. Sitting around thinking about it wasn't going to do any good. She needed to take action.

Even if she wasn't entirely sure what that action would be.

A quick glance at the clock told her it was nearly dinnertime. She sighed. Doing something would have to wait. After dinner, there was a mound of homework waiting for her. Hikaru wasn't really concerned about school anymore, but something inside her worried about what might happen to her if her grades began to slip. She doubted she would get kicked out, which honestly would have been a blessing at this point. No, if she started to decline Hikaru had a feeling it wouldn't be long before she was in a different kind of trouble.

Was the school involved in all of this? It had to be a possibility. But if so, was it the whole school, or just a few individuals?

That looped around to a whole new set of questions. Why would the school being doing this? Killing off its own students made no sense. What was to be gained? Hikaru got a headache just thinking about it.

The school wasn't involved, Hikaru decided for the moment. It was too bizarre to consider. The school was doing a terrible job covering up the deaths of students, but admittedly it was doing everything it could. Twisted as that was, the school had only just reopened. It would be catastrophic and a disappointment to all if it had to close before the first year was even halfway through.

The school was simply doing what it felt it had to in order to maintain its reputation. That was all.

Hikaru sincerely wished that wasn't the case and the school would accept that the situation was out of control and send the students home. This wasn't even remotely close to being the dream boarding school she hoped for back in September.

At least the majority of the students were oblivious, going about their days as if nothing was wrong. As far as most of them knew, Lera had been the only casualty, and that was brushed off as she got sick and was forced to go home. The school wouldn't even acknowledge the girl was dead. She scoffed at the thought. Anyone who had seen Lera that day would have to know the illness excuse was a lie. She didn't understand how students could so easily ignore the truth. Hikaru envied them.

Of course, if she hadn't gotten as deep as she had with this, Hikaru would have never met Ryuga. Not that that was working out for her much these days.

She needed to push all thoughts of him aside, and focus on one of two things: getting out or finding out who was behind all of this. If she managed to find out who the culprit was, she'd also learn why they were doing it.

She left the room. Mei Mei was probably already in the dining hall. Same with Madoka and Sophie.

Once she arrived, Hikaru searched for her friends at their usual table. She frowned. Empty. That was unusual, especially at this hour. Usually at least one of them was around.

"Hikaru! Over here!" She turned to see Madoka waving at her from another table.

Hikaru gave it a once over. Gingka was there, along with the rest of his friends, which meant- Her heart caught in her throat.

Ryuga was sitting right there, liquid gold eyes looking directly at her.

She couldn't go over there. She just couldn't.

Summoning her strength, she walked over to the table. It was better than explaining everything to Madoka later on. Hikaru wasn't ready to face the complications that would come along with telling her friends about Ryuga. She'd have to come clean and confess her true intentions for breaking into the office.

Hikaru sat down next to Madoka. Ryuga was on the other side of the table, fortunately. Still, her stomach was churning. She turned to her friend.

"Do you know where Mei Mei and Sophie are?"

Madoka shook her head, then leaned in close. "No, but you'll never believe what I saw at the library the other day."

"What?"

"Mei Mei was with Chao Xin."

"Wait- Chao Xin, the player? What is she thinking?"

Madoka shrugged. "No idea. I haven't had a chance to talk to her. I thought you might know something since you're roommates."

"No way," Hikaru shook her head vehemently. "This is the first I'm hearing of it."

Hikaru made the mistake of turning her head as Madoka talked, finding Ryuga looking directly at her. Their eyes locked.

She broke off the eye contact first, almost as soon as they'd connected, quickly facing Madoka once more.

After scarfing down the little food she could eat, Hikaru made up an excuse to leave the room. Madoka was too enticed by talking with Gingka anyway, and it gave her a reason to go back to the dorms to see if the other girls had returned.

As soon as she made it through the double doors, Hikaru had to fight the urge to run back inside.

Somehow, without her noticing, Ryuga had already left the dining hall. He was leaned up against the wall. He hadn't seen her yet, though, visibly preoccupied with another matter.

She felt her shoulders sag. Ryuga had made it clear the other day. He didn't want her.

She was just finding that immensely difficult to face.

Hikaru began walking down the hall toward her dorm as quickly as she could when she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. She didn't need to turn to know who it was. She closed her eyes, wishing he would go away.

"You're avoiding me."

She turned, giving in. "You said you wanted to do this alone," she said levelly, praying her voice wouldn't betray her. "You said you didn't need me. So I'm giving you space."

He stepped back, leaning up against the wall. "Hikaru. I need to talk to you. But we can't do it here."

Her eyebrows knit in confusion, composure breaking. "What do you mean?"

Ryuga glanced around the hall anxiously. For some reason, he seemed frantic, ill at ease. "It's not safe."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "No kidding."

"No, it- Hikaru, things are worse than we thought." His golden eyes were pleading.

She let out an exaggerated sigh. It was better to get this over with rather than let it drag out. "Okay, fine. Where do you want to talk? A dorm room? I'm not sure if my roommate is back yet."

"No," Ryuga disapproved. "Not a dorm. We can't go anywhere in this castle."

"Then where? Ryuga, I looked into it. There's no way out of here. There are trees surrounding us on every side. Where could we possibly go?"

His eyes refused to meet hers. "The lake."

"What? No, please, no. I told you already, I didn't want to go there." She folded her arms.

"What's it going to take to convince you?"

"Nothing short of a miracle."

Ryuga relented. "Okay. Promise me you'll come to the lake with me. It's important; it's tied to this whole thing."

He seemed so sincere. She still wasn't over what he had said to her last time they had spoken. With that weighing heavily over her, she gave him an ultimatum.

"Fine. I will go to the lake with you, on one condition. You have to tell me why, and you have to tell me here."

Ryuga was starting to look desperate, but he nodded. "I can guarantee my dorm room is empty. Follow me. I'll tell you as much as I can."

Hikaru peered back at the crowded dining hall, where Madoka was still blissfully unaware of what was now transpiring. She mentally kicked herself. Had she stayed in there with her friend, Hikaru would never have agreed to go back to the lake with its dreadful sense of foreboding.

It didn't take long to get to his dorm. The scene blurred by her the entire time, too fuzzy to make out any details. Focusing was proving to be impossible. People whirled past her in a rush.

As Ryuga had predicted, no one else was in his dorm. In fact, it didn't look like anyone else had been there for a while.

"Where's your roommate…" The question died in her throat as Ryuga gave her a knowing look. Ryuga's roommate would not be a concern. He wasn't coming back.

Hikaru perched on his bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Everything was blending together. She didn't care if Ryuga saw her like this. He seemed distracted regardless as he paced back and forth.

Hikaru placed her feet on the floor, gripping the sheets to ground herself. She took a long look around the room to calm herself. The room was set up similar to hers, except the boys' dorms were smaller, only designed to fit two occupants. Dust settled on the unused desk next to the empty bed. The closet door was closed.

For a moment, there was total silence. Ryuga opened his mouth several times like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Hikaru suspected he was choosing his words carefully.

"Tell me what you know first," Ryuga said at last.

Hikaru's eyes widened. "What? You bring me down here to tell me something that's apparently of major importance, and now you want me to talk?"

"You said you've looked into the school. What did you find out?"

"Not much. I got into the main office while everyone was sleeping, but it wasn't worth it. I didn't find much. Just that the phones won't work for outside calls, and the map shows we're pretty far out in the woods. A single road leads out of here, the one we came in on, but travel on it is probably well regulated by whoever is orchestrating all this. There's nowhere else to go."

Ryuga's head snapped up. "You broke into the main office at night? Why? Hikaru, with everything going on, you're lucky you're alive."

"I know," she admitted. " I didn't even get the answers I wanted."

"What were you looking for? You didn't have to sneak out in the middle of the night just to get a map and use a phone."

"I… I was trying to find information on your brother," she said softly. She finally let the secret out. Admitting it to him felt different than telling her friends.

Ryuga froze. "Then you did this for me," he finally expelled the words. He sat on the opposite bed, face in his hand. "I screwed up."

"What to you mean?"

Ryuga refused to look at her. "A few days ago, when I told you I wanted to work alone, it wasn't because I didn't want you around. I-I wanted to protect you. I knew things were getting worse. I thought if I could keep you out of it, you wouldn't be in as much danger. I never expected you would go off on your own to find information on my brother."

Hikaru got up and sat next to him. "There wasn't any information on the mission he was part of to check out the school. It's somewhere else, but I know it has to be around."

Ryuga smiled faintly. "You're persistent, you know that, right? I didn't mean to put you through any of this; I wasn't planning on getting anyone else involved."

She accepted his silent apology. Hikaru knew Ryuga wasn't going to say it outright, but she knew he genuinely regretted what he had done to drive a wrench between them. She stared into his eyes. Something about those swirling shades of yellow-gold just got to her.

Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, Hikaru found herself leaning in and kissing him, knowing she had gotten herself deeper in this tangled web than she had ever intended. He kissed her once more, pulling her in close, and she kissed back until finally he broke it off. His eyes held an odd sadness to them. He probably wished the situation could be different. Hikaru knew she felt that way.

She knew it had been moving in this direction this for a while. Ever since they'd escaped the sewers, the two of them had been growing closer, making it hurt so much when Ryuga decided it was better they part ways. His reasons made sense, but she wasn't willing to be without him any longer.

She wanted to kiss him again, to feel safe in his arms, but she refrained. Hikaru reminded herself why she was in his dorm to begin with.

"What did you find out?"

"Someone in the school is planning something. The people who have died, it's not just random killings. Their deaths are for a purpose."

Hikaru frowned. "I don't understand."

"I don't understand either," Ryuga confessed. "I overheard some people talking about it. All I know is this whole thing is somehow tied to the lake."

She grimaced. Something had always been off-putting about that murky water, but this confirmed it. There was no getting out of here without first uncovering its secrets.

"Let's head to the lake."

Hikaru shuddered. Now that she knew why he wanted to go there, she could only pray no one had been listening in on their private conversation. Ryuga closed the door tightly behind them as they once more entered the crowded halls of Starlight Academy.


	11. Cadence of Her Last Breath

**Thank you SailorCandy, King of darkness, and Guest for your kind reviews! I also squeal when Hikaru and Ryuga kiss. Oh, and SailorCandy, writing it at night is just as bad as reading it at night. I'm the one writing it and I still freak myself out.**

 **Anyway there's a really bad storm here right now and I fear I'll lose power any minute, so I'm posting this before that happens! Enjoy and let me know what you think! :D Chapter song is "Cadence of Her Last Breath" by Nightwish.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

It was still light out for the time being, but Hikaru knew that wouldn't last. It was already past seven. The perfect time, as Ryuga had told her. It was early enough for them to justify being out on the grounds if a staff member saw them, but late enough that most people wouldn't bother going outside. The dreary weather was a good enough deterrent, Hikaru thought. The clouds above looked like they could open up any second and soak them in a torrential downpour. The only reason she was going out was because she didn't have a choice.

The fog up ahead began to obscure their vision. She could barely make out the lake through the dense fog in the distance. Ryuga took her hand to keep her close.

Once they were further away from the castle, she could feel him relax. The tension in his shoulders slowly dissipated until it was hardly noticeable.

Hikaru got the feeling there was something he still wasn't telling her, but then he would tell her when he was ready. She suspected she wouldn't have to wait long. If it were important, there was absolutely no way he could justify keeping it from her. The thought that someone at school was orchestrating all this chilled her to the bone. She needed to know everything he knew as soon as possible.

If he didn't want to tell her in his dorm room, did that mean they were being watched? Was someone overhearing all their conversations? Was that even a possibility?

In a convoluted way, maybe the lake _was_ one of the safer areas on campus.

They finally came to a stop right at the water's edge. Hikaru stared wistfully across toward the other side. It hadn't been all that long since she was last here with him, although on a positive note she wasn't drenched with sewer water this time.

The lake as usual was eerily silent, other than the soft sound of waves lapping up on the sandy shore. Hikaru took note of their surroundings. The area was completely deserted.

"That carving in the sewer walls was bugging me," Ryuga began. "I couldn't get it out of my head. It's somehow tied to all of this, I'm sure of it."

"Were you able to find anything about it?"

"Nope. I wouldn't even know where to start. If it's deep underground in the school I doubt anyone even knows it's there other than us. And if they do know, they're probably not people we want to run into."

Hikaru wilted a little. So much for getting her hopes up. "All you know is someone within the school is working against us."

Ryuga glanced around quickly, nervously making sure they were alone. "Yeah. I was in an off-limits part of the castle when I saw two people in hooded robes…"

 _Ryuga plastered himself against the wall, peeking around the corner. Why were people down here? Who were they? Why were they dressed like that? The black robes with hoods over their heads made them come off as out of place and suspicious. He couldn't see their faces. Whoever they were, they did not want to be seen. Ryuga got the feeling he wouldn't want to be seen by them either._

 _His instincts were all screaming at him to run, but he stayed put. These strange people might have the answers he was looking for. Maybe he could finally learn what happened to Ryuto. He couldn't let this chance get away._

 _He'd very nearly run into them, skittering to a stop at the last second the moment he heard voices. That wouldn't have been a pretty sight. Ryuga was fairly certain he could get away from them, but it wasn't worth taking the risk. Not this soon._

 _There could be more of them. It wasn't safe to stick around too long. He whipped back around out of sight, anxious to hear what they had to say._

 _Despite the danger, Ryuga didn't intend on leaving just yet._

 _"_ _Has the time come?" One of the figures whispered harshly._

 _The other shook their head, fabric whipping side to side lightly but never revealing their identity. "No," they responded in a cold voice. "The goddess said we have little longer to wait before the lake ceremony. Its arrival is approaching rapidly."_

 _Ryuga didn't recognize either voice. His blood chilled as the robed figures continued to speak._

 _"_ _Excellent," the other voice replied with satisfaction. "Then the sacrifices are proceeding in accordance with the will of the cosmos?"_

 _"_ _Quite so. The goddess says she will be able to lead several more students astray easily before it is time. We must be patient. The students are imperceptive to all of this. She has them blindly under her control. No one suspects a thing. The school is floundering in its desperate attempt to save face, but that fact is kept well hidden from most."_

 _Ryuga's mind was racing. He had heard more than enough. He wasn't any closer to finding his brother, but judging by the conversation he had witnessed, if he didn't get out of here soon it was all over._

 _Ryuga cursed as he stumbled over a loose piece of stone flooring sticking up in his haste. He caught his footing before he fell, but the damage was already done._

 _"_ _What was that?"_

 _They were coming in his direction. Ryuga didn't waste any time. He fled down the hallway, not looking back._

 _He didn't stop until he made it back to his dorm. Breathing heavily, he locked the door and collapsed on his bed trying to collect his thoughts. There was no way they hadn't seen him. The corridor he'd run down had gone on too long before it split off in another direction for him to take. Even if they didn't know who he was, whoever this "goddess" person was would find out once they identified him. He was running out of time._

 _Ryuga waited a good five minutes before venturing out again. He'd go to dinner, so as to not rouse any suspicion due to absence, then go from there. After that, he needed to get somewhere safe._

 _He didn't have a choice._

Hikaru covered her mouth with hand as Ryuga finished sharing his experiences from only a few hours earlier, eyes wide with horror. "What do we do?" she whispered hoarsely.

Ryuga took her hand. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I've got a pretty good idea of who this 'goddess' is. We need to lie low for a bit and find out what we can. If we don't have much time left, it's all we can do."

"You don't think escape is possible?"

"You said it yourself; phones don't work and we're surrounded by forest for miles. I've surveyed the grounds pretty well, but I haven't seen a car or any method of transportation we could use to get out."

"But if they saw you, you can't stick around! There has to be something we can do to get away."

A grim expression crossed Ryuga's face. "I know. I'm going to keep looking into it as best I can. As much as I hate to admit it, finding my brother isn't the most important thing anymore. I've got to survive long enough to find a way out before it's too late."

"Okay," Hikaru exhaled. "Then who do you think the goddess is?"

"Probably-"

Whatever he was going to say next was cut off by a dark blur swooping down from the trees above them and tackling him to the ground. Hikaru shrieked as a second force came upon her, knocking her in the head, but held steady. She grabbed the thin trunk of a nearby tree. When her vision cleared, she saw two figures, dressed in the black robes Ryuga had mentioned. Their faces were concealed, but she could see a sinister smile lurking beneath one of the hoods. Her heart pounded.

She expected them to talk, to say anything, but their assailants were silent. Somehow, that felt much worse. They stood still for a moment, studying the two students. She wanted to run, except that was out of the question in an environment where the enemies clearly had the upper hand. Hikaru felt their malicious intentions radiating toward her in waves. One of them took a step forward as Ryuga wrestled his attacker off and stood up.

From behind, Hikaru felt someone grab her. She shouted, flailing wildly as she was lifted up into the air. There were more adversaries than she'd realized. They'd walked straight into an ambush by going to the lake. After getting smacked in the face by her arm, the hooded figure holding her was forced to drop Hikaru.

Scrambling to her feet, Hikaru saw Ryuga was in trouble. Two of the figures were on him and he wasn't faring too well. He wrestled one to the ground, but the other immediately struck from the side while his attention was occupied.

Her heart sank. Neither of them were in good condition. The fight was clearly stacked against them, with at least five enemies surrounding them. For all she knew, there were more waiting in hiding to target them.

Ryuga had been right. They did catch him escaping after overhearing their conversation. Hikaru hoped he had simply been overly paranoid, that there hadn't really been enough time to get a good look at him as he fled, but obviously that wasn't the case. Now he was paying the price for it.

It wouldn't have mattered if they remained in his dorm instead of going to the lake. Hikaru and Ryuga had become a threat to whatever was happening at the school. They couldn't be allowed to stay. They knew too much.

Hikaru wished she had time to run back to warn her friends. Just as they'd said all along, exploring the castle was dangerous, but none of them had ever suspected the ramifications could be this severe. She needed to prevent them from looking for any more clues before they wound up in the same deadly situation as her.

Another hooded person leapt out of the trees. Hikaru turned just in time to see them coming at her. She prepped her elbow, sidestepping, and hit them in the face with her forearm, disorienting them enough for her to easily avoid their sloppy lunge that followed.

She ran over to help Ryuga, kicking one of his attackers square in the stomach. It gave Ryuga sufficient time to rush to his feet, but it didn't make any difference. The adversaries just kept coming.

It was going to take a miracle to get out of this.

As one of them raised up a knife that glinted menacingly through the increasing moonlight, Hikaru realized they weren't going to get out of this.

There wasn't going to be a miracle for them today or ever again.

* * *

Hikaru didn't come back to their dorm room that night.

Mei Mei looked at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. It was past nine-thirty. Madoka had informed her that Hikaru had been at dinner when she asked earlier. Since then, though, nobody she talked to could recall seeing the other girl.

Mei Mei hugged a pillow, pulling her knees to her chest as she sat on her bed. The dorm room felt too empty.

Despite Hikaru's constant searching of the castle, she was _always_ back before it got too late. If she was planning on being out beyond that, everyone else was usually involved, like the midnight trip to the office. It wasn't safe to go out unaccompanied at night.

Mei Mei gulped. She hoped her friend had gotten caught up at the library or was in another equally innocent situation. It was too disturbing to consider the alternatives.

Being alone was not helping her situation. With both Hikaru and Selen gone, even if they hadn't enjoyed Selen's company all that much, it was a little unnerving in the silent room.

It was still early, Mei Mei thought optimistically. There was more than enough time for Hikaru to return. She was just being paranoid.

Mei Mei peered over the pillow at the book lying open on the bed in front of her, but the words floated off the page. She was too jittery to study. Focusing was impossible. Over and over in her mind she chanted that she was fine, and that Hikaru was fine. She didn't want her nerves to get the best of her.

All the same, Mei Mei crept over to Sophie and Madoka's room a few minutes later, bringing her textbook with her. Maybe she'd have better luck studying if she was with other people. The light in the hall was still bright overhead and a small number of students were walking about, but an ominous cloud hung over the scene.

Mei Mei got the distinct feeling that something very bad was about to take place.

She knocked on the door. Madoka opened it, surprised at first.

"Mei Mei?"

"Can I come in?"

Madoka opened the door fully. Sophie was also inside, lying on her stomach on one of the beds with her bent legs crossed up in the air and a pair of headphones in looking over a textbook with a pile of papers around her.

She ripped her earbuds out. "Speech is going to be the death of me."

Mei Mei wanted to laugh, but she felt sick to her stomach. "Hikaru isn't back yet."

Sophie bolted upright. The papers around her flew off the bed and scattered around the room. "What?"

"Are you sure she didn't say anything to you about what she was doing tonight?" Madoka asked worriedly.

"No," Mei Mei felt close to tears. "I haven't seen her since this morning."

Sophie took a sharp intake of breath. "Can anyone think of anyone she might be with? Anybody she hangs out with?"

Madoka frowned. "Not really. She's been pretty quiet about that. I've never really noticed her with anyone other than us that I can think of either."

Mei Mei groaned. "We have got to start talking to each other more. She's constantly in and out of the dorm, but I never know if she's going off on her own or if she's meeting up with someone. She never says anything. It's too dangerous here to not let anyone know where you're going."

Sophie nodded in agreement. "From now on, if we're going somewhere outside of class or the dining hall- and it doesn't matter where- we have to let someone know so we can start looking in the right places if something does happen."

"Do you think there's a guy?" Madoka asked. "Has she said anything about anyone, even in passing?"

Mei Mei shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

Sophie closed her textbook. Silence hung thick in the air between them.

"We can't go out looking for her now. It's getting late and we don't even know where to start. She's probably out with a guy like Madoka suggested and just wants to keep it a secret until she knows if the relationship will actually work. Hopefully- hopefully she's back by the morning. If not…" Sophie trailed off.

"If not, then first thing tomorrow, we'll be her personal search party," Madoka decided confidently. "Hikaru's fine. I'm sure of it."

Mei Mei took advantage of the extra bed in their room. There was no way she was sleeping alone tonight.

* * *

The next morning, Mei Mei woke early. The room was still dark and she could see Sophie and Madoka's sleeping forms close by.

The clock on the desk across from her read 2:13. Mei Mei wondered if Hikaru had made it back to their dorm. She reassured herself that Hikaru was more than likely passed out in her own bed, wondering why Mei Mei wasn't there. Mei Mei realized she should have left a note so Hikaru wouldn't worry the way she was.

Outside, the wind was howling. Heavy rain pelted the ground. Thunder reverberated through the early morning sky as lightning flashed. She peered over toward the window.

Mei Mei nearly screamed, clamping down on her jaw at the last second. Next to her, Sophie rolled over in her sleep.

As lightning lit up the outside, she saw something hovering outside the window. Two eyes glowed back, staring deeply into her.

Mei Mei covered her mouth with both hands to prevent any whimpers from escaping, her own eyes bulging in fear.

The sky went dark again and by the time the next lightning strike hit, the eyes were gone. Who or what in their right mind would possibly be out in this weather? She prayed it had all been in her head.

Mei Mei burrowed deep under the covers and hoped the old saying was true: if she couldn't see it, then it couldn't see her.

She knew she was wrong on every account, but the terror flowing through her body allowed to believe otherwise if only for the moment.

Several hours later, the girls finally rose. Before anything, they rushed over to Mei Mei and Hikaru's dorm. Mei Mei unlocked the room with shaking hands, only to find it just as empty as it had been the night before.

"Let's not panic," Sophie said calmly, though the agony in her eyes openly betrayed her.

Defeated, they began getting ready for the day. There was nothing they could do yet, and as much as they wanted to implement the search party Madoka suggested the night before, there was no telling where to start. The best course of action of was to go to breakfast, and hope the guys they had eaten dinner with last night were around and knew where she was. Madoka insisted that was the last time anyone could positively confirm Hikaru's whereabouts. Hikaru had left dinner before Madoka, but so had several of the boys at roughly the same time as her.

 _Someone_ had to know where she was. People didn't just disappear without a trace. Then again, Mei Mei thought grimly, at Starlight Academy that seemed to be exactly what happened.

Madoka weaved through the crowds of students past their usual lunch table towards where Gingka and his friends sat. Sophie and Mei Mei followed right behind taking time to study the room in case their friend was already there sitting at a different table.

Gingka, Kyoya, Hyoma, and Masamune were all present, Ryuga being the only one absent. That wasn't particularly out of the ordinary, though. Madoka had eaten at Gingka's table on several occasions where the white-haired boy wasn't around.

Madoka didn't bother sitting down. She stood next to Gingka. "Have any of you seen Hikaru?"

"No," Gingka's smile faded a little. "Why, is something wrong?"

"No one has seen her since dinner last night," Sophie explained quickly.

The other boys seemed relatively unperturbed by this, but Gingka visibly tensed. Madoka briefly wondered if getting him involved in her explorations had actually been a good idea. She'd kept him up-to-date on what the other girls told her, too.

"She's probably around," Kyoya said, relaxed.

"I haven't seen Ryuga either," Masamune piped in, perplexed. "Hey! Do you think they're together? I saw Hikaru leave dinner right after he left last night! Maybe they're secretly dating!"

"Ryuga and Hikaru?" Hyoma arched an eyebrow. "Interesting."

Sophie slammed her hands on the table. "Be serious! Hikaru could be in danger, she's not with _Ryuga_!"

Mei Mei whispered to Madoka, "Have you ever seen her with him before or heard her talk about him?" Madoka shook her head.

Kyoya got up and left, leaving everyone confused. The others squabbled following his departure, Sophie and Masamune aggressively opposing everything the other said. He returned less than ten minutes later, while everyone was still debating the possibility of Hikaru and Ryuga being together. Masamune was the only one thoroughly convinced they had a secret relationship and wouldn't budge no matter what the girls told him. Gingka looked pained.

"His dorm room is locked," Kyoya announced. "But no one's in there."

"How can you be sure if it's locked?" Gingka challenged.

"Because no one can ignore someone banging on the door for two minutes straight. I don't care who you are."

Sophie, Madoka, and Mei Mei exchanged a look. They weren't getting anywhere standing around fighting. Ultimately, it didn't matter whether Hikaru was with Ryuga or by herself or why she had left. No matter what, the fact stood clear as day.

Their best friend was missing and there was no guarantee they'd ever see her again, dead or alive.

That thought alone was enough to propel them to spend the majority of the day scouring the castle in search of her, each girl bracing herself for what she might find. Every closet was opened, revealing nothing more than storage and custodial equipment.

They ventured into the off-limits parts of the castle, staying on guard, but not finding what they were looking for.

While they were poking around the library, Madoka took it upon herself to check the secret passage while she was certain her friends weren't watching. The bookshelf swung open as she pushed it to the side. She walked down a few steps and called for her friend as loudly as she dared, but it was useless. Madoka had no desire to go back to the dungeon and crypt. It was highly unlikely Hikaru would be there anyway.

Mei Mei went into their dorm room and essentially tore it apart, trying to uncover anything that could indicate where Hikaru might have gone. She tossed clothes onto Selen's empty bed and checked Hikaru's desk. The only papers on her desk were upcoming assignments and other schoolwork. She threw up her hands in frustration. Mei Mei even went through her own belongings in case Hikaru had left a note or anything for her there. There had to be a clue somewhere in the mess.

Sophie checked all the bathrooms on the off chance Hikaru was there, but turned up nothing. She even checked with a few of her own classmates whom she believed shared courses with Hikaru as well. None of them had seen her, either.

As they'd determined last night, the trail went cold after dinner. There was no proof she'd made it back to her dorm nor was there proof she had been with anybody else. All they knew for certain was Hikaru walked out of the dining hall and then was gone.

By the end of the day, they had no other choice than to face the facts. Their friend had vanished without a trace.

It was difficult to accept, but the hours they'd spent searching had yielded nothing. They refused to give up, but they were fast running out of places to look. Mei Mei wasn't sure if finding nothing was almost better than finding something. They could have found Hikaru in similar condition to Lera or Selen and Mei Mei never wanted that to happen. At least, this way they still were able to believe she was alive, albeit missing. If they had found her body...

Mei Mei could only hope Hikaru had found a way out of Starlight Academy and taken the chance. The worst-case scenario was too awful to think about. If Hikaru did have that opportunity and wasn't able to go back and let everyone else know, then Mei Mei was okay with that. With all the horrible things going on, Mei Mei couldn't blame her.

As she fell asleep in Sophie and Madoka's dorm once more, Mei Mei was tormented by nightmares of Hikaru being tortured and brutally murdered outside Starlight Academy with the haze-covered lake looming sinisterly in the background.


	12. It's Terror Time Again

**Hello! I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer than usual to get out, things have been really busy on my end. I had family visiting all last week, which completely cut into my time to work on this and I've had a few other personal things to sort out this week, but I got it done! Many thanks to Guest, King of darkness, Godkiller, Thunderbolt, Reality warper, Black wizard, Darkseid, and Eye of storm for your reviews. Glad I can keep this interesting for y'all.**

 **Song this time is "It's Terror Time Again" by Skycycle. This song is featured in "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island", which totally freaked me out as a kid. As always, read and review! :D**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Sophie couldn't sleep. It had been over a week since Hikaru had gone missing and now she was being forced to accept the worst. She hated it had come to this.

Sophie created scenarios in her head, imagining where in the castle Hikaru could possibly be, but none of them properly added up or made any sense. Over the past week they had gone over as much of the castle as they could with no luck. They were still a little leery of the off-limits areas, but Sophie was convinced it wouldn't matter how much time they spent there. Every moment the three of them stepped beyond those boundaries they were putting their lives in their own hands. They couldn't keep putting themselves in the way of further danger for much longer without running into serious consequences. She needed to face the truth. Hikaru was gone.

Meals had become a dreaded time with Sophie barely able to drag herself to dinner earlier in the evening. Madoka and Mei Mei always did their best to sound upbeat, but it felt forced. Sitting three at a table was a stark reminder of what was taking place. Just looking at the empty fourth chair made Sophie nauseous.

She could hardly eat as it was. She'd started skipping lunch to avoid it entirely.

Sophie knew it wasn't healthy, but these days her motivation was waning more and more. Getting out of bed every morning was an arduous task, but she did it so her friends wouldn't worry. They were already too stressed to add that to their heap of problems. Besides, sometimes, when the three of them walked the crowded halls together, Sophie would start to feel the tiniest bit better about the situation.

On a positive note, she hadn't encountered anymore unwelcome surprises, but that was all. She still knew the nightmare was going on behind closed doors. Just because it was no longer happening before her eyes didn't simply mean it had stopped entirely. That was so unrealistic she couldn't even bring herself to pretend to believe it. Halloween was a day away, but for once in her teenage life that wasn't relevant. They were already living a horror story.

She even found herself avoiding Wales from time to time. Once in a while she would eat with him, just to try and find a sense of normalcy. It didn't work though, and she found being with him was too much of a reminder that they were trapped here.

Mei Mei had permanently moved into the dorm she and Madoka shared, not that Sophie blamed her. They had the space and Sophie wouldn't have wanted to be alone if she were in that position. Truthfully, Sophie was glad Mei Mei had joined them, so she wouldn't have to worry about the other girl being by herself and the plethora of horrid events that could take place at night in the dismal castle.

In the darkness of the room, Sophie had to wonder about Hikaru. Could she really have been with Ryuga, as Masamune had so adamantly suggested? She still doubted the theory, but it brought up a disturbing point. How much had Hikaru been keeping from them? What was so important that it had drawn her attention away from her friends, and ultimately caused her to disappear without a trace? What had she been after? Sophie pondered if she was looking too deeply into the matter. More than likely, Hikaru had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it had cost her the way it had Selen and Lera.

It was past midnight. Sophie stared up at the ceiling. She needed sleep, but it wasn't happening. Sophie debated getting up, but going for a walk in the empty corridors this late at night was just asking for trouble. Both of her roommates had long since passed out for the night. No one would know what happened if she vanished, too.

She stayed in bed, alone with her thoughts, and waited for sleep to finally take her.

The incessant beeping of the alarm woke her up hours later. Sophie shut it off, but didn't get up. It was finally coming to the end of the week, providing her a welcome break. Still, she had to get through today's classes first. She was glad she'd thought ahead and packed her bag last night.

Madoka and Mei Mei were already gone, probably in the shower or at breakfast. Sophie glanced at the clock and realized she must have slept through the first alarm. Her friends had decided to let her sleep. Sophie peered at herself in the mirror. The extra fifteen minutes of sleep hadn't done much for the dark circles under her eyes, but a little makeup would easily cover that up.

When she made it down to breakfast, the dining hall was near deserted. Sophie wasn't surprised. Classes were set to start soon. Madoka and Mei Mei were nowhere to be seen.

Sophie was about to put down her tray and eat alone when she noticed Wales sitting by himself out of the corner of her eye. She took one last look at her empty table before picking up the tray and joining him.

"Hey." She sat down.

"You look tired," he commented.

"Yeah, it's just a lack of sleep. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

She pursed her lips, deciding now was as good a time as any to tell him. They had been trying to keep it on the down low since informing Gingka and his friends, but at this point, she didn't care. Initially, they hadn't wanted to draw attention to themselves by making a scene about the disappearance. It wasn't something they could keep quiet about forever, though. Maybe Wales even knew something that could help. "Hikaru's missing."

His eyes widened. "She is? What happened?"

"We don't know. She's been gone over a week."

Wales opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. Instead, he pulled Sophie into a tight hug.

His silence told her he didn't know anything about her disappearance, but for the time being Sophie was okay with that. She breathed deeply, not saying anything, letting the moment last.

* * *

Mei Mei had confided in Madoka and Sophie about her and Chao Xin after Madoka brought it up, but she hadn't seen him much since Hikaru vanished. Briefly, she'd been scared that he was gone as well, but then he reappeared at lunch, surrounded by a flock of girls as always.

In all honesty, she wasn't sure what was going on between them, a fact she made clear to her friends. She didn't want to chalk this up to more than it was, but he had kissed her- more than once. She was absolutely positive that meant something. It had to.

If the situation weren't so messed up, maybe it would be easier to define what they were. As it was, school was dominating her life, and when she wasn't absorbed with that, the mysterious events at the school took up the rest of her time. She'd been so overwhelmed with her best friend's disappearance that she'd had little time to direct her attention elsewhere.

Today, she determined, would be different. It was Halloween, not that the school was doing much in that respect, but once classes were done for the day she was going to put them behind her and go talk to Chao Xin. She really wanted to get a clearer idea of where they stood, if anywhere. Hikaru was still in the back of her mind, and Mei Mei hated to admit it, but she needed a break. She had been way too high strung lately. It was time to address other aspects of her life before they spun out of control, too.

Once her astrology/astronomy class finally rolled around, Mei Mei was grateful to see her friends again.

They took their usual seats. She watched as Gingka and his friends made their way into class as well, noting that one member of their party was still missing. Mei Mei hoped for their sake Ryuga was simply skipping class.

Madoka exchanged a look with Gingka. She then leaned over to her friends. "They still haven't found Ryuga, either. It's the same as with Hikaru. There's no sign of the two."

"Have they gotten into his dorm room yet?" Sophie whispered.

"Let me check," Madoka recaptured Gingka's attention, whispering quietly for a few moments, then turned back to them. "It doesn't sound like it. I think they're afraid of what they might find if they can open it."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "It might have answers, though. I don't believe what Masamune said about them… being a couple, but if he was with her when whatever happened happened, we need to get in that room, too."

The rest of class was a blur. While the instructor droned on about meteor showers or who knew what, Mei Mei had to fight to keep herself awake. She hadn't been getting nearly enough sleep as of late. Last night she'd woken up again in the early morning, then tossed and turned for at least an hour before finally falling back asleep.

Madoka poked her shoulder, bringing Mei Mei out of a deep stupor. Her pen had fallen out of her hand, lying in the center of her desk. She blinked and saw that the majority of the class was getting up and leaving. Mei Mei hastily stuffed her notebook back in her bag and stood.

She started to go for the exit when Madoka stopped her.

"Wait," the other girl said. Mei Mei noticed Sophie and the four boys were still around. Sophie was inspecting her manicured nails, something she frequently did when she was a little nervous to help her relax by focusing on little things. Mei Mei wondered what had her unsettled. "We're going to check out Ryuga's room."

Mei Mei noticed several of the boys looked uneasy. She felt bad about making them do the one thing they'd been avoiding, but when it came down to it there wasn't much of a choice. If there were answers in that room, then they would have to get them sooner or later.

After dumping their bags back in their dorm, the girls met up in front of the centrally-located dining hall with Kyoya and Hyoma, who led them to where Gingka and Masamune were waiting outside Ryuga' dorm.

The door was still locked, but Sophie had thought ahead and brought along a few hairpins. She handed them to Kyoya, who began working one into the lock.

The first pin nearly broke in the lock, which would have effectively blocked them from getting in the room at all. They all watched on in panic as they heard the snap. Kyoya managed to wrestle it out at the last moment, the end of the broken pin dangling toward the ground, barely held together by an impossibly thin piece of stretched plastic. He started on his second attempt at a much slower pace.

The others waited in silence, holding their breath. Kyoya took his time, and eventually, they heard an audible click. He opened the door as everyone braced themselves for what might be waiting inside.

They were greeted by nothing. Kyoya cautiously took a step in. As soon as he deemed it okay, he waved the others to join.

Mei Mei took a step inside. The room was slightly colder than the hallway had been. It didn't seem like anyone had been in it in a while.

"There's no sign of a struggle," Hyoma pointed out.

He was right. Both beds were more or less made, and textbooks were neatly piled on each desk. The floor was clean as well; the rooms were almost as organized as they had been prior to student arrival. If not for the personal belongings tucked away in the corners of the room, it was hard to tell anyone had ever been inhabiting the room.

Mei Mei surveyed the room for anything that might indicate if Hikaru had been there and came up short. There was so little in the room that had anything belonged to Hikaru it would have immediately stood out.

"I think Ryuga said something a while ago about his roommate not being around anymore," Gingka said somewhat shakily. "So I'm pretty sure it was just him living in here up until recently."

Kyoya was hovering by the window.

"Why is this open?"

The others crowded around him. The window was slightly ajar with a light breeze coming in.

Mei Mei shivered. Something felt very wrong.

"Look," Sophie's voice came out as a strangled whisper.

Mei Mei followed her finger to where she was pointing and suppressed a gasp.

Dripping down the window, a thin trail of blood had dried on the wall.

The group looked at each other in horror. There was no telling how old the stain was or who it had come from, but there was no denying it was there.

"It's not a lot of blood," Hyoma said, voice fairly stable. "It doesn't have to mean anything bad happened here. It could have been an accident. Maybe Ryuga or his roommate got cut when they opened the window."

No matter what reassurances anyone tried to give, it was impossible to shake the unease and fear welling up in them as they stared at the red spatter running down the wall.

* * *

One student was apparently trying to throw a secret Halloween party in their dorm room, but the latest revelation from their trip to Ryuga's room only furthered Sophie's desire to stay as far away from any celebrations as possible. She suspected nothing good could come from a large gathering of students all squished together in one room.

Madoka and Mei Mei seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Mei Mei was sitting on her bed reading while Madoka sat hunched over at her desk writing furiously, glancing at her notes every few minutes.

The three of them were comfortably locked up in their dorm room, ignoring the festivities and loud shouts of their fellow classmates as they ran through the halls unrestrained.

Outside, the full moon glittered above them, inviting natural light right through the window into their room.

Mei Mei sighed, closing her book. "I was going to try to talk to Chao Xin tonight."

"Have you seen him much lately?" Madoka asked.

"Not much," Mei Mei confessed. "I saw him at lunch a few days ago, but he was surrounded by another group of girls. Not that that's a big deal, I just didn't feel like putting up with them. They act like they personally own him, even though there's five of them hovering at any given time."

Sophie groaned. "C'mon, Mei Mei. If you want this to work, you have to go talk to him. It doesn't matter if he has a bunch of fangirls."

Mei Mei's cheeks turned pink. "I know that. I want to find a good time, that's all. I would have gone tonight, but it's too spooky. Halloween by itself is fine, but Halloween here? I don't like it."

"I know," Madoka agreed. "I don't know how everyone else can celebrate."

Sophie shrugged. "Does it matter? Even in here, we aren't exactly safe. Let them enjoy being stupidly oblivious to everything. Who knows how much longer that'll last."

Mei Mei got off her bed. "Maybe I _should_ go see Chao Xin. He might be out there partying with everyone else and not realize the danger. It gives me a good excuse to see him anyway."

Madoka seemed like she wanted to stop her friend, but relented. "Okay, but come back soon. It's starting to get late."

Mei Mei stopped by the door, fidgeting. "Would you guys want to come with me? I know it's asking a lot, but I'd rather not go alone. Besides, I just want to make sure he's safe. We can always talk another time."

Madoka joined her at the door instantly. Sophie stood up as well.

"I'm not going to be the only one left behind," she declared. "There's _some_ safety in numbers, even here."

The hallway was as crowded as it had been on move-in day. Mei Mei hadn't seen it this busy in a long time. All around her, students were laughing exuberantly. Some of them were even wearing costumes, although Mei Mei couldn't imagine how they were able to get their hands on them. It wasn't like they could drive to the nearest mall. They must have brought them at the start of the year, waiting for this day.

Girls ran in and out of dorms, crowding the bathrooms so they could put on their makeup. Most of them were probably dying for a chance for the boys to see them out of uniform based on the ensembles a few girls had donned. One girl was wearing a short hooded skeleton dress and another had a Red Riding Hood costume on. Someone else pranced by in a tutu. Mei Mei wondered if the dress code still applied at a time like this. If it did, no one seemed to care.

Crazy as it was, this had to be the calm before the storm. More than one person must have been planning on throwing a party, because there was no way that many people could fit in one dorm. Especially once boys were factored in. Mei Mei was surprised there weren't any teachers out trying to stop the madness.

Maybe what Sophie had said earlier was right. Maybe they were just letting the students be blissfully ignorant. It wasn't like the students could do anything _that_ bad being locked up in the castle. No one was sneaking in illegal drugs or alcohol. No outside friends could come and cause mischief.

Sophie led the way, pushing past the throng of girls. One of them shot Sophie a nasty look as she moved her out of the way, but Sophie shut her down with a glare of her own.

Shortly after, they were near the dining hall. It was still reasonably occupied inside, with some students eating dinner. No one was in costume here; the mayhem had yet to spread this far. Sophie peeked in and noticed Wales sitting alone.

"Do you guys mind if I go talk to someone real quick?" She didn't bother waiting for an answer.

Mei Mei and Madoka looked at each other in confusion. A few minutes later, Sophie emerged with Wales in tow. She didn't offer any explanation.

Sophie had mentioned Wales more than a few times, and it was blatantly obvious to anyone who listened to her that the girl had a major crush despite her trying to argue otherwise. Mei Mei suspected Sophie was trying to keep him safe by bringing him with them. She didn't know what she must have said to convince him to join them.

They arrived at the corridor containing the boys' dorms.

"Since Wales is with us, we're less likely to get in trouble walking around here by ourselves," Sophie offered. Mei Mei had to admit it was a good plan.

The boys' dorms were a little more subdued than the girls'. Wales informed them that multiple rooms were being used for the party and that they were currently being set up. He knew which ones to avoid.

Mei Mei led them to Chao Xin's dorm. The other three hung back, talking animatedly.

She knocked on the door. After a few seconds with no answer, she tried again.

"I don't think he's in there," Mei Mei walked back to the others.

Madoka frowned. "He has to be around somewhere. Wales, do you know if he was involved in organizing the party?"

Wales regarded her carefully. "I don't think so. I wouldn't be surprised if he was, but I don't know him that well."

A feeling of unease was beginning to settle in Mei Mei.

"I think we would have known if he was part of the group setting it up. They've been pretty vocal about being the ones running it," she said slowly. "He has to be around, though. Maybe by the library?"

Sophie nodded. "That makes sense," Sophie she said encouragingly. "Let's go check it out."

The library was filled with students too overwhelmed with schoolwork to care about the Halloween party or the chaos unfolding in the dorms. Mei Mei looked for a telltale group of shrieking girls huddling in a corner, but saw no such thing.

Sophie and Wales slipped away toward the forbidden section in case he was back there. Madoka started looking in the shelves.

Mei Mei stood still, scanning the room. He had to be somewhere. He hadn't been in his dorm, the dining hall, or any of the corridors. Classrooms were closed off for the evening. The library was the only place left he could possibly be.

The loud noise was suddenly too much to take. Mei Mei walked out of the library for the moment for fresh air.

She thought she heard something, but disregarded it. There was so much going on it was hard to distinguish one sound from another.

Students were still running around madly in front of her. Several rushed out of the library, hoping there was still time to prep before the party started. People in costumes began walking past her. Mei Mei knew she should go back to her friends, but her desire to check the library was gone. As long as she didn't go too far, it would be fine. She would wait for them outside the door.

Another noise captured her attention. It sounded like a shout. Curious now, she decided to follow it.

One of the hallways had gone silent. Students had all but disappeared. That in itself seemed like a sign that she should stop what she was doing and go back to safety, but Mei Mei disregarded it. She went down the right corridor when the path split. Mei Mei realized she was coming up on the off-limits part of the castle. She ignored the feeling that she needed to get out of there and return to the others. Something else was compelling her to keep moving.

Mei Mei froze as she turned the corner. Her eyes widened in terror at the scene awaiting her. It didn't seem possible.

It couldn't be possible. This had to be a dream.

Mei Mei couldn't help it. She let free the scream she'd been containing in her throat for so long. It reverberated, echoing over and over again against the walls.

Lying on the ground in front of her, Chao Xin was unconscious in a pool of his own blood as the moon glinted eerily above through an open window, bathing him in a silvery light.


	13. Razorblade

**This update was delayed due to having to write a Valentine's Day oneshot for my Team Star Breaker** **story, but it's here now! Thank you to miranda sings, Guest, and SailorCandy for your reviews! Glad you're back, SailorCandy :) Chapter song is "Razorblade" by Amaranthe.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Mei Mei had discovered Chao Xin inches from death. Since then, Madoka had watched her friend painstakingly nurse him back to health and bring him homework daily. She always spent at least an hour if not longer in his dorm, going over what he missed in class.

The shock of finding him in that condition, covered in blood and almost lifeless, had shaken them all to the core.

Because of that, they hadn't done much. Keeping a low profile was best at a time like this. Most of their time was spent locked up in their dorm, pretending to study while their minds were elsewhere. Madoka was still curious about the Celestia family and the connection it had to the crypt. That was going to have to wait, though. She'd already pushed it back as it was; waiting a little longer before diving back into the investigation wouldn't hurt, hopefully.

Madoka was under the impression she was finally making progress before all the tragedies struck. Even with the dozens of questions racing through her head, a few pieces felt like they were starting to click. Between Chao Xin and Hikaru, the situation had quickly changed as trying to resolve those issues had eaten up all her free time the past few weeks.

Hikaru…

Hikaru had been missing for nearly a month now. Madoka didn't want to believe she was gone, but after the revelation of what had happened to Chao Xin, it was proving extremely difficult to think otherwise.

They had happened upon him completely by chance. There was no telling what would have happened if Mei Mei had gone down that hall five minutes later. He could have been… in worse condition, or maybe he wouldn't have been there at all. It was entirely possible someone else, like a teacher, could have found him and taken him away to keep his condition a secret. Or, more disturbing, whoever had done that to him could have come back to wrap things up.

Madoka squirmed. They hadn't seen the person who hurt him, but if they had would that have made things better or worse? Would they have been able to identify the person behind it, ending the nightmare once and for all or were things even more sinister than they'd ever imagined? They easily could have unknowingly put a big target on their back. Madoka didn't know what to think.

Chao Xin had no recollection of how he had ended up unconscious in the corridor, let alone coated in his own blood. His memory of Halloween had been completely wiped.

Armed with that knowledge, it made it unlikely that Hikaru was… still with them. The castle grounds were large, but there were only so many places the girl could have gone. Madoka liked to fantasize that Hikaru had escaped, and was coming back for them any day now with reinforcements in tow to save them, but that was more unrealistic than the teachers actually admitting the school had a problem. Ryuga was still missing as well.

Gingka had been downtrodden, weighed down by the pressure of trying to locate Ryuga or evidence as to what could have happened to him. Though he attempted to remain upbeat, Madoka could definitely sense underlying confusion and despair. Madoka hated to see him like that.

But, as it was, time had all but run out. There was no way Hikaru and Ryuga, together or not, would have been able to survive on the grounds with zero resources in unfamiliar territory and if they were hanging around the castle somewhere, they would have been found by now.

Madoka felt her throat tighten.

Her friend was dead.

Hikaru had likely been carried out of the school in the same manner Sophie had witnessed other students so long ago: almost completely unnoticed and with a white sheet covering her face, concealing her identity to the world. Her best friends would never know not having seen the outcome themselves.

Anyone of them could be next.

With that dark thought in the back of her mind, Madoka unsteadily made her way to the door.

She wasn't entirely certain where she was going, but she was going to let her instincts lead the way.

Thoughts swirled around her. If Hikaru was dead, then the other girls owed it to her to get out alive. She wouldn't want her friends to meet an equally grisly fate.

Maybe Hikaru had found out more than she was supposed to, Madoka mused. That seemed plausible. Hikaru had spent more time exploring the school than anybody. The other girl could have gotten in too deep and by the time she realized it, maybe time had run out for her.

Madoka froze. A voice she didn't recognize was talking in a sharp whisper. Whoever it was clearly didn't want to be overheard as they continued in hushed tones. She stayed put, not wanting to be caught listening.

It was impossible to hear what they were saying. Knowing that she was still in a part of the castle students were permitted to be in, she made the bold decision to continue and find out who exactly was talking. She couldn't possibly get in trouble for innocently passing through the halls.

Something blurred at a fast pace up ahead of her. Before she had time to debate chasing after it, her attention was captivated by something else.

Headmistress Celestia appeared seemingly out of nowhere against the wall. She noticed Madoka, and quickly covered up a frown with a friendly smile as she passed her.

Madoka shivered.

Headmistress Celestia hadn't been there a moment ago, so where _had_ she come from? That voice hadn't belonged to her. There weren't any doors on either side of the walls.

Madoka's breath caught. She didn't know where Celestia's office was; that information had never been made public to students. Students were informed that if they needed to see her for any reason, they were to go to the main office and make an appointment. Madoka had never even heard of anyone going to her office to begin with. But what if it was around here? Madoka had done her fair share of searching the castle, and never once had she come across the office of the headmistress.

Madoka studied the walls. Gingka had already been proven right on one account. What if there were more?

It made perfect sense for Celestia's office to be hidden somewhere in the building, probably connected to yet another secret passage. The off-limits sections of the castle were too out of the way to consider hiding an office there, definitely not convenient for a headmistress who was required to be readily available if she were needed.

She grinned. Who knew such a cheesy concept would come to life in a place like this? She never would have believed it if she hadn't experienced it herself.

Madoka felt along the wall, trying to find any loose portion or area she could push. Wherever it was, the passage was well concealed.

She was growing more confident in her assessment. There had to be a secret passage or room behind the wall. She just needed to see Celestia use it. If Madoka could get into that room, she might be able to put all the pieces together. Answers were surely waiting for her in there.

It wouldn't do good to linger, though. The last thing she wanted to do was warrant unnecessary attention.

Celestia had already seen her there, so Madoka felt it best to leave before she became suspicious. It would be difficult to explain if she was still there when Celestia came back. Feeling lighter than she had in days, Madoka decided to go visit Gingka. Hopefully, this potential breakthrough could help cheer him up, too.

If they were lucky, they'd be able to catch Celestia when she went to return to the hall and see her use the passage. After that, it was just a matter of waiting until she left and it was safe for them to go in.

There was no way Gingka wouldn't go for it. If the office held a clue to finding out what happened to Ryuga, he would be in. Gingka was nothing if not loyal to his friends.

As for herself, Madoka was particularly interested by what information she could find that tied to the crypt below them and the cosmic emphasis the school kept pushing. If the office of the headmistress didn't hold the answers, Madoka was stumped where she would find them.

Madoka had to restrain herself from running all the way to the boys' dorms.

Sophie fought the urge to throw the book to the floor. If it wasn't speech, then it was something else.

She'd been trying to memorize the dates of yearly ranges for meteor showers, but focusing was proving difficult.

Sophie still didn't understand why she had to take a course on the cosmos in the first place. Sure, it was interesting, or at least it could be if the teacher had more energy. Sophie was confident she could sleep through the course and still do fine. It was that slow. Whoever was in charge of the hiring process should have done a better job screening her and realized the teacher was as boring as it got so they could've given the job to someone with a personality.

If Sophie had paid more attention in class maybe she wouldn't be spending time now attempting to learn the same material the teacher had gone over the day before. But, Sophie firmly held that it wasn't fully her fault. Not this time, anyway.

Meteor showers were cool, she was willing to admit that much, but when it came down to it, why did she need to know what time they came around each year? How was that going to help her out? It was just more useless information that was going to disappear from her brain the moment they were done with them and moved on to something new.

The only ones she'd managed to commit to memory so far were the Leonids, and that was only because they were supposedly peaking right now and wouldn't end for another few weeks. Beyond that, she was struggling to find motivation to get through the chapter.

At the end of the month, the entire school was going to be required to go outside as part of the class and witness one of the meteor showers. It wouldn't be peaking at that time, so Sophie didn't fully understand why they needed to go outside so late, but apparently it would be around the time of the full moon, too, and the next unit focused on that.

She wished there were a way to get out of it. With no guarantee she would even see a meteor, Sophie had no desire to go outside. It was starting to get cold out, and at the end of November she imagined it would be significantly worse out with winter right around the corner. Too bad her grade was on the line and she didn't have a choice in the matter.

Wales wasn't in her class, but everyone was required to take the astrology/astronomy combo. Sophie grinned deviously. There was one way to make studying much, much more interesting.

Taking her book with her, Sophie locked the dorm and started down towards the boys' wing.

She was only halfway to his room when she ran into him leaving the library.

"Hey." She fell in step with him, "Any chance you're not doing anything?"

"Not really. What's up?"

Sophie held up her cosmology book. "Wanna study?"

Wales barely looked at the cover. "I've already done what I needed to for the exam."

Sophie pouted. Her competitive streak was definitely coming out force. "Oh yeah? Well we'll just see who gets the top score."

Wales stopped and turned to face her. "Really now."

"Absolutely." Sophie was grateful Wales didn't have much height on her. It was much less intimidating standing toe to toe with him this way.

He took her free hand, the one not holding her book, and looked directly into her eyes. Sophie refused to break eye contact. His blue eyes may have been mesmerizing, but she wasn't about to fall into that trap. He wouldn't win that easily.

Even if her heart had started beating faster.

"In that case," Wales began. "I look forward to the challenge."

"Don't waste your time," Sophie responded casually. "If anyone's going to win, it'll be me."

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart. He let her hand drop. Sophie headed back to her dorm, stopping quickly before Wales was out of sight.

"Good luck," she blew a kiss. "You're going to need it."

Wales only shook his head in return.

The full weight of what she had just gotten herself into hit her as she unlocked the door. She grimaced.

Her goal had merely been to get some alone time with Wales, but that had backfired big time. Not only was she not hanging out with him, she'd basically forced herself to return to her room and resume studying alone. She cursed her competitiveness internally as she flopped back on the bed.

What was done was done. Sophie was never one to go back on her word or back down.

Memorizing meteor shower dates would be a piece of cake. Wales had better be prepared. He may have had a head start, but it wouldn't take long for Sophie to catch up. If he thought she was going down easy, he had another thing coming.

Sophie struggled to focus before becoming deeply invested in her schoolwork. More than once her mind wandered to their encounter outside the library, with Wales holding her hand and looking deeply into her eyes as her heart thumped wildly.

Sophie groaned.

It had taken more convincing than she originally anticipated, but Madoka had finally persuaded Gingka into helping her break into Celestia's office.

At first, he wasn't too keen on the idea. A change had definitely settled over him after the events of the last few weeks. She agreed he raised a good point when he mentioned it might not be worth the danger, but she didn't want to call it quits just because something might happen. They would never get anywhere with that logic. Madoka kept bombarding him until he finally gave in. Besides, it was the only lead they had.

Madoka filled him in on all her theories and the research she'd tried to do since they managed to escape the crypt. He had lit up a little at the prospect of potentially finding Ryuga.

For the next few days, they set up a stakeout outside the hall where Madoka believed the office was. They took shifts between classes and breaks, trying to pin down a schedule of when the headmistress was least likely to be in her office.

It didn't take long to confirm the existence of the secret passage. Just as she suspected, Madoka observed Celestia using it the second day she was on duty. She'd watched her come out of it before, but never seen her enter it.

Getting in seemed simple did something to one of the old statues then a small section of the wall shifted and revealed itself.

Madoka couldn't get close enough to see exactly what she did to get inside, but if she spent enough time examining the statue she'd be able to solve it. Now it was just a matter of tracking Celestia.

They couldn't outright follow her to see where she went during the day; that was too sketchy and too risky to explain. The best they could do was keep watch of her office now that they knew for certain it was there.

By the end of the week, Madoka was positive she and Gingka had a rough idea of the headmistress's daily agenda. Once Monday rolled around again, it was time to put their plan in action.

Madoka waited for Gingka outside the dining hall as lunch was winding down. From what they'd been able to gather, Celestia always left her office after lunch for at least half an hour. As far as Madoka was concerned, that should be plenty of time. Either they were going to find what they were looking for or they weren't, simple as that. Chances were if it took more than thirty minutes, they wouldn't find anything of real use. She felt positive something important would stand out.

That half hour was also generally the longest opportunity they would get. Celestia sporadically left the office for varied periods of time; during those they couldn't guarantee how long she would be gone for. The only other option was to try breaking in at night while everyone slept, but for all they knew that was a death wish. The stakes were too high to even consider that. Celestia's room could be connected to the office for all they knew. Accidentally waking her up in the middle of the night by making too much noise in the quiet office would effectively trap them with nowhere to run.

Celestia suddenly appeared, right on time.

Gingka and Madoka pretended to be walking down the hall to lunch, talking animatedly and laughing. Madoka held one of her textbooks open, pointing to a page as she feigned interest in what it said. Gingka looked on. Celestia quickly passed them. They stopped at the statue.

Madoka began to inspect it. There weren't any unusual bumps or notches. She tried poking it in randomly places.

"Are you sure this is how she's been getting in?" Gingka asked skeptically.

"Of course I am! You've seen it, too. She touches it somewhere and a small opening appears," Madoka defended.

Gingka went to join her, but tripped and fell forward. He grabbed at the statue to catch himself.

As he made contact with the statue, it fell forward slightly under his weight. The wall shifted, creating a slender gap in the wall large enough for a person to easily slip through.

Madoka grinned, using her hand to stifle a laugh. "Good going, Gingka. Looks like we found it."

Gingka led the way. As Madoka followed, she pulled up on the statue again. The wall instantly closed as the dark narrow passage swallowed them up. It was suddenly easy to understand how no one realized Celestia had been using it before. The whole process took seconds, and unless you paid close attention to the wall, it didn't look like it had moved at all during the quick exchange. The entryway blended right in. Celestia merely appeared as though she was walking down the hall like everybody else.

The path wasn't very long. The two eagerly sped through the darkness, Gingka's phone lighting the way. Within moments they had come upon another door. Madoka pushed it open, looking in cautiously before taking a step inside. The room was empty.

Celestia's office wasn't anything out of the ordinary upon first glance. It came across as a typical school office, with several file cabinets and a computer at a large wooden desk greeting them as they stepped inside. Bookshelves lined the back of the office. Madoka was almost inclined to admit there was nothing strange going on.

However, the more she studied the office, the more she found. It wasn't nearly as ordinary as it appeared at first glance. Many of the books were nearly falling apart, bindings worn out. She also saw on a table multiple star charts. A crystal ball was tucked away in one corner.

There weren't any windows in the room so Madoka could only assume they were in one of the inner rooms of the castle. There wouldn't be any easy way out of it if the situation arose.

She wasn't concerned. They'd be out in plenty of time. She just needed to get a quick look at a few things.

She went to get a closer look at one of the bookshelves. As she anticipated, more than one of the old titles dealt with cosmology.

Following her hunch was certainly paying off now. She'd found the real collection of books off-limits to students. Some of them had probably been there since the school was first opened, waiting here for a hundred years.

One of the books seized her attention. The book was fairly thick, its pages yellowed with age. While Gingka rummaged through the file cabinets, she picked up the old volume, carefully blowing dust off the cover. She couldn't quite make out the title.

There wasn't time to read it, so her only option was to take it with her. Madoka dropped the book into her bag and hoped its sudden disappearance would go unnoticed.

"Did you find anything?" Madoka checked her phone, their precious time slowly dwindling.

"I can't find anything on her personal life," Gingka explained. "Do you think it might be on the computer?"

"We can try, but it might be password protected-" Madoka tensed. She thought she heard a noise, but after a few seconds of total silence she was able to relax again.

At first it was quiet, then it became alarmingly clear what she had heard. Madoka felt her insides turn to ice.

Footsteps.

Someone was coming, and by the sound of it, more than one person might be on their way through the passage.

Without warning, Gingka ran to the bookshelves opposite the entrance.

"What are you doing?" Madoka shouted as loudly as she dared. She desperately looked for a place to hide. It was way too soon for Celestia to be back already. She wasn't taking any chances, though. They simply could not afford to. Celestia or not, someone was definitely coming down that hallway. Getting caught, especially with the book in her bag, would spell the end.

"Didn't we come out of the first passage near the crypt through a bookshelf? The one in the library, remember? We've already found two, who says there can't be a third?"

Madoka could only pray he was right.


	14. Shot in the Dark

**Oh my goodness what is this, a timely update from me? It's barely been a week, hope you guys enjoy the new chapter a little earlier than usual XD Extra thanks to Guest, Guest, and SailorCandy for your reviews. I love seeing what everyone thinks is going to happen. I'll keep writing to keep everyone guessing! Anyway, chapter song is "Shot in the Dark" by Within Temptation. I've started repeating artists it seems. Enjoy!**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

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Gingka tore books from their shelves. Each landed with a large thud, one after the other in immediate succession. Madoka stared at the growing pile on the floor in shock. Her insides felt constricted, preventing her from moving.

"C'mon!" Gingka shouted. He was now at the side of bookshelf, trying to push aside it in hopes of revealing a new exit.

Madoka stared in disbelief. "I don't understand!" Panic welled up inside her as she heard the footsteps grow louder. Her throat grew tight.

"One of these shelves has to slide aside like the other one did or one of the books has to be a trick lever, like in the movies! You know, when you try and pull it from the shelves it can't be taken off, but suddenly a doorway opens!" Gingka explained through gasps as he exerted force on the unmoving structure. He moved on to the next shelf. More books flew through the air.

Accepting there were no other options, Madoka gathered her strength and picked a shelf of her own, starting to fling books to the floor.

There was no time left.

The books hit the ground one by one to no avail. Madoka heard the footsteps pounding ever closer. Her own heart mimicked the noise.

The room provided no easy place to hide; it would take seconds to find them. Their only hope was to get out now.

The footsteps stopped right outside the door. Madoka risked a glance at it. The handle was beginning to turn. The two books she held slipped from her hand. The passage couldn't be here. Almost every book had been removed from its shelf. The two of them were trapped. Her mind raced; it was impossible to come up with any excuse that could save them, especially with the books surrounding them now.

The two of them had to be making too much noise to go unnoticed as it was. If Madoka and Gingka could hear the faint footsteps of whoever was beyond that door, then that person could definitely hear the two of them throwing books everywhere in their frenzy.

"Got it!" Gingka yelled triumphantly.

Madoka whirled around and saw one of the books suspended from its shelf. It was hanging off the shelving unit, but remained connected through some sort of metal lever contraption. The shelf had swung forward a little revealing a slight opening. She didn't question it. Gingka pushed Madoka through the passage and pulled up on the book setting it back into its original position, then squeezed himself into the closing escape route. At the same time, the door on the other side of the room opened up.

Madoka didn't look back. The last thing she needed was to be identified. She ran down the passage as fast as she could, Gingka right on her heels. With any luck, they'd be out of here in moments.

That had been far too close for her liking. She couldn't believe the plan hadn't worked out the way they'd hoped. They'd been so careful to ensure exactly this wouldn't happen. At the same time, Madoka was strangely annoyed. All their staking out around the office the past week had been for nothing. Celestia's schedule had switched up at the last minute it appeared. Now it was far too dangerous to even consider going back there. They had lost their lead.

She pushed the thought out of her mind. All that mattered now was getting out safe and unnoticed. The dark passage had to end soon, and then she and Gingka could blend in with all the other students once more.

Celestia entered her office, surveying it. Two cloaked figures flanked her sides. Her nostrils flared as she noticed the mess of books covering the floor. Very few books remained on shelves.

She walked over and picked one up. "The situation has now taken an unanticipated turn," she said icily.

"Shall we go after them?" One of her hooded companions questioned.

Celestia let the book slip from her hand. "No need," she waved them off. "I will know who it was soon enough."

* * *

Mei Mei sat in the desk chair next to Chao Xin's bed. He had only just woken up, but she wanted to be there in case he needed anything. It had become her daily routine to check on him during lunch.

Chao Xin had made almost a full recovery since his ordeal. He'd recently been able to start attending classes again. The last reminders of the injuries he had suffered were a few deep scratches that were finally beginning to fade.

Over three weeks had passed since that day, and they were still no closer to figuring out what exactly had occurred. Chao Xin couldn't even remember why he had been in that corridor in the first place. Mei Mei wondered if he hadn't gotten there of his own volition. For all they knew, he wasn't conscious when he got there, meaning someone could have potentially dumped him there, far from where the attack had really taken place. The thought was more than a little disturbing.

Still, finding him alive had been oddly encouraging. Even if dangerous things waited for them at every turn, there was always a chance they could get out of it. Silver linings did exist in this nightmare castle after all.

Mei Mei kissed Chao Xin as he sat up. She was so incredibly grateful he was alive. She had already lost Hikaru. Mei Mei wasn't prepared to lose anyone else. She didn't think she'd be able to handle it. As it was, she had yet to fully come to terms with the fact that Hikaru wouldn't be coming back. She tried not to think about it, but Hikaru's fate still haunted her dreams late at night.

She talked easily with Chao Xin as they'd been doing the past few weeks. It felt so good to laugh with everything going on, even if it was only for a few moments. Chao Xin provided a wonderful distraction. Mei Mei was so glad things had worked out between them. She could hardly believe she was with the guy she'd labeled "womanizer" the first time she laid eyes on him. Life had a funny way of turning out completely unexpected, she supposed.

It was funny. Had she never come to Starlight Academy, she wouldn't be scared for her life, but then she never would have met Chao Xin either. What a double-edged sword receiving that acceptance letter had turned out to be. Three months ago, it had been the most exciting thing to ever happen to Mei Mei, a real dream come true. Now, it felt like an invitation to her own funeral.

She needed to stop thinking that way. She was with Chao Xin; she shouldn't spend the time worrying. She knew better than anyone there would be plenty of time to worry later.

Being with Chao Xin somehow made her feel safe in spite of morbid atmosphere radiating throughout the castle. She needed to take advantage of the fleeting sense of calm.

Still, there was one other thing bothering her.

Mei Mei stood up. It was now or never. No matter how she tried, it was impossible to push the idea from her mind. It was time to address it. If she didn't now, would she ever?

"We really need to get back to that tower," she said softly.

Chao Xin gazed out the window. "I know. It's not safe, but I understand."

"I'm going to go now," Mei Mei decided. "This might be the only chance I get. If there's something up there, and we miss out on the opportunity to find it… I'd rather not think about it, to be honest."

"Please be careful," Chao Xin looked deep into her eyes, holding her steady. "I'd go with you if I could, but that's still not an option yet."

Mei Mei did her best to refrain from shaking. She couldn't remember a time she'd been more nervous, but Chao Xin didn't need to know that. If he knew how scared she really was, he'd try to go with her and she wasn't about to let that happen. Not when he still needed to recover. Potentially putting him back in the line so soon after his near-death experience was less than ideal.

It was a little surprising how easily he accepted her plan, not fighting her at all on it, but Mei Mei realized he must have been expecting it. Some time had passed since she last brought it up; he must have still been thinking about it, too.

There was simply a strange aura about that tower that kept drawing them back to it.

Mei Mei slipped from his dorm, giving him one final kiss goodbye. She sincerely hoped it wouldn't be their last.

It didn't take long to find the tower. She somehow instinctively knew the way there, regardless of the fact she'd only been there the one time. As soon as she found the lanterns from last time once entering the darkness of the off-limits area, she knew it wouldn't be long. They still glowed faintly, ominously lighting the way. There weren't any muddy footprints this time, but the lanterns told her everything she needed to know. Just as before, someone had been there recently.

She pushed open the door to the tower cautiously before peering in quickly. The stairs seemed deserted. Quietly, Mei Mei made her way up the stairs.

Her luck had held. A quick glance told her the tower was completely empty.

Alone, the tower felt much more overwhelming, as if it exuded its own power. Mei Mei suddenly felt very lost.

From what she remembered, everything was more or less in the same spot it had been in the last time she visited the tower. Mei Mei glanced around, biting her lip. It was difficult to determine where to start. At the same time, she felt like the minutes she had in the room were extremely limited if she wanted to get out in one piece. Every second was precious.

She didn't have any time to waste. Looking carefully through all the items surrounding her, unfortunately, wasn't practical. Her only option was to consider the things out in the open that were easily accessible and hope no one would notice them missing.

Still, there was so much _stuff_. She wasn't even sure what half of it was. She began to feel a little dizzy.

It didn't matter that no one knew she was here or that the path she had followed here had been completely empty. In that moment, all Mei Mei was certain of was how much she wanted, no, _needed_ to get out of that tower. The tower felt too crowded with all its contents horribly overwhelming her.

Impulsively, Mei Mei grabbed one of the star maps. She didn't know if it would help, or if it even could, but it was something. The map was the only thing small enough she could easily take it with her. Moving the telescope or any other equipment was out of the question. The map was also one of the few things she actually recognized. She snapped a picture of the room. If she couldn't physically take it with her, it wouldn't hurt to have a photograph.

She looked at the other star charts. Taking more than one was probably pushing her luck. She would have to make do with what she had.

Before anything could happen to her, Mei Mei fled the tower back to the illusory safety of the main part of the castle.

* * *

Madoka feverishly began flipping through the book she had stolen from Celestia's office. Her face fell when she realized it was in an unfamiliar language.

She and Gingka had almost immediately parted ways the instant they'd escaped the secret passage, hardly pausing to catch their breath, not daring to speak a word. From there, Madoka had gone straight to her dorm and refused to leave until she felt she was in the clear. In the meantime, she thought it was worth taking a look at the book she'd risked her life to obtain.

There had to be a way to decipher its meaning. She had a rough idea of what language it was written in, so as long as she could find a dictionary in the library she would be able to slowly make her way through it.

When it came down to it, though, Madoka wasn't sure she would have enough time for that. She needed to translate it as soon as possible. An imperfect translation was still better than nothing at all.

Her nights were about to get significantly longer.

If it helped them survive, then she really didn't care. She'd get the information she needed, then find a way to escape Starlight Academy. Madoka couldn't count on the book saving them entirely, but it had been tucked away. That had to mean something. It just had to.

The door suddenly burst open. Mei Mei and Sophie walked inside, Sophie holding a plate of food. She placed it in front of Madoka.

"You know," she commented. "You really should stop studying for a bit and get something to eat from time to time. It's not healthy to focus so much on school."

Madoka picked up a piece of bread. She wasn't particularly hungry, her stomach still churning after what had transpired, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. "Thanks, but I'm not studying." She motioned to the leather-bound old book lying next to her.

"What is that?" Mei Mei asked.

Madoka looked from side to side, not meeting her gaze. Sophie and Mei Mei exchanged a confused look.

"It's just a book for class," Madoka said at last.

Sophie picked it up despite Madoka's protests. "Okay, since when- what language even is this? Madoka, what the hell? What are you reading? I know you're taking some heavy duty classes, but this is so not a textbook."

Madoka sighed. "I wasn't going to say anything because I didn't want to worry you, but I guess I don't have a choice. It's better this way anyway."

Sophie tossed the book back at her. Madoka scrambled to catch it before fell to the floor and suffered any damage. "Yeah, 'cause we're friends, and friends don't keep secrets from each other. Especially when they're trapped in this school." She looked at Madoka hard.

"Okay, okay. I got the book from Celestia's office," Madoka admitted.

"From Celestia's office? Did she let you borrow it? What happened?" Mei Mei asked.

"Not exactly." Madoka explained her adventure from a few hours back, leaving her friends in stunned silence when she was finished. She told them about her suspicions from when she had gone to the library before in search of the contents of the forbidden section and everything else she had uncovered, including the mystery crypt she and Gingka had accidentally stumbled upon.

"So you're telling me," Sophie began, her voice rising slightly, "That there's essentially a tomb beneath the school filled with the bodies of Headmistress Celestia's ancestors?"

"Yes. I mean, I assume they're her ancestors. The headmistress of Starlight Academy just so happens to have the same last name as all the coffins in the basement of the school? You can't tell me the two aren't connected. This isn't some random coincidence."

Sophie groaned, dropping to the floor. "That's all for me."

Mei Mei put a finger on her lips. "Something about this isn't adding up. You said Celestia would have known someone was in there because you and Gingka left the office a disaster. Why didn't anyone come after you? They had to have known you used the second passage to get out once they realized you weren't in the room anymore and saw all those books on the floor."

Madoka shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. We spent so much time watching her office making sure we wouldn't run into any problems, and when we finally got in there everything went wrong. As soon as that passage opened, we ran for it. I didn't look behind me once on my way here. Getting the book was a lucky break. I don't know if she realizes it's missing yet. Once she does, we're going to have a bigger problem. It's probably not safe to try and sneak it back in."

"No way," Sophie shook her head. "You guys barely escaped. There's going to be way more surveillance around that office now that she knows someone was able to break in."

"Agreed," Madoka confirmed. "I need to translate this as fast as I can. I get a bad feeling we're starting to run out of time. It may not have the answers we need, but if we can clear any of this up, I'll do it. Even if I start translating the book and find out it doesn't pertain to us at all, at least we'll know so we don't waste any more time on it."

Mei Mei's heart sank. It wasn't just her; they had all begun to lose hope.

Madoka pointed to the dictionary she relied on for her creative writing class. "I need to find one in the language the book is written in. That should aid in the translation process, but I'm not familiar with the language and its intricacies. I don't know exactly how the verbs and nouns work, but if I can get a rough idea of the meaning, I think I can work with it."

Hearing those words struck a chord in Mei Mei. Hadn't she thought something similar earlier in the day? Wordlessly, she pulled out the star chart she had absconded down the tower with from her bag.

"What's that?" Sophie asked, intrigued.

"It's a star map," Mei Mei informed her. Mei Mei placed it her on bed, flattening it out. She quickly filled the girls in on what had taken place with her and Chao Xin the first time she went to the tower, and her desire to go back once more. "It was the only thing I was capable of bringing back with me."

Sophie frowned slightly, seeming a bit put out as a small pout crossed her face. "Am I the only one not going on all these crazy adventures here?"

"Yes, but you're probably safer for it," Madoka reminded her. "Now, Mei Mei, what else did you say was in the room?"

"Oh!" Mei Mei took out her phone. "I almost forgot. I took a picture of it, just in case." She passed her phone over to Madoka, who instantly began scrutinizing the image.

"Well that's obviously a telescope," Madoka squinted. "Is that an astrolabe? I thought those were mostly used on ships. There isn't any water around here for miles besides the lake, but that's not exactly big enough to require an astrolabe to help navigate across it. Why would that be up there?"

"Maybe whoever it belongs to likes collecting nautical gear," Mei Mei offered.

"Maybe, but it does use stars to aid in navigation, so I suppose we shouldn't be surprised it's up there with the rest of the equipment despite not being particularly useful out here. Plus, it's undoubtedly old like most of the castle. It's likely been here for a long time," Madoka decided.

Sophie examined the star chart. "Does anyone have their astro book? We might be able to pick out the constellations."

Madoka gave Mei Mei back her phone momentarily to pull the textbook from under an enormous pile of books. Sophie took it, flipping through the pages. None of the first few star maps in the book matched, but she wasn't about to give up just yet.

"Don't forget, that map is much older," Mei Mei prompted her. "There's a good chance the ones in our book aren't going to be perfect replicas."

"I'm sure there's one that's pretty close. The stars couldn't have changed that much, could they?"

Madoka put down Mei Mei's phone long enough to study the map as well. "It's really hard to tell how old it is. If we knew that, or the location where the map was drawn, that would make this a lot easier."

"I think that might be Jupiter," Sophie pointed to one of the markings. She placed the map on the desk. "But who knows?"

Mei Mei felt disappointed. "We can't even ask anyone about it. One of the teachers might be able to help, but then we would have to explain how we got it…"

"We're definitely on our own here," Sophie agreed. "We can't take any chances."

Madoka closely examined something in the corner of the map. "Sophie, can you do me a favor? I really need to get my hands on a lexicon as soon as possible, but I don't want to leave the room just yet in case Celestia is still suspicious. It's better for me to stay here as long as I can."

"Sure," Sophie responded, confused. Madoka scribbled down a few words on a scrap of paper with details regarding the subject matter she was looking for. Sophie headed for the library, returning about ten minutes later book in hand.

"I think there's some writing here. It's really faded, but I think it might be the same language the book from Celestia's office is written in." Madoka pointed to the lettering as she spoke. She took the book from Sophie.

Madoka scanned the dictionary. She wasn't that surprised that the two objects shared the same language. Celestia's family was clearly linked to the castle, so the star map probably belonged to them as well, especially if it had been tucked away in secret.

Finally, she found what she was looking for.

"It matches up with our word for December," she declared.

"December? Do you think that's when this map was made?" Mei Mei inquired.

Madoka nodded. "Definitely. As far as where or when, there's still no indication. It may have been Scotland, though, considering the origins of the castle, but we can't know for sure. We don't even know if the castle is really Scottish."

"Whoever was up there must have been comparing the sky now to this December chart," Mei Mei mused. "It was separate from the others."

"It's not December yet," Sophie pointed out. "It's too soon for the stars to line up the same way. Maybe this is what they're expecting to see?"

Madoka glanced back at the map. "Maybe. I've got a pretty good idea who may have been up there, but we still don't know what's really going on here or why any of this is happening."

Sophie leaned back against the wall. "Well, at the end of the month, we've all got to go outside for class and look at the night sky. By then the sky should be fairly close to what's on the chart, right?"

"True!" Mei Mei said enthusiastically. "We should be able to at least figure out if this is the location where the map was made, right? Because if it was made somewhere else, it wouldn't match up."

"Exactly," Sophie agreed. "That might be our chance to figure it out."

Madoka didn't understand why, but something about that statement made her very nervous.


	15. The Rise of Darkness

**Thank you to SailorCandy and Guest for your reviews last chapter! To make sure everyone is up to speed: last chapter Mei Mei found an old star map with the word December written on it in a foreign language. During the mini-field trip, the girls are planning on comparing how the stars currently look to those on the map to see if this is the location the map was made at, and that's where we'll be picking up here.**

 **Anyway, Monday is my birthday, so I 'm not sure when the next update will be, simply because I'm going to be busy for the next few days. The chapter song is "The Rise of Darkness" by Immortal. Hope you guys enjoy this latest installment!**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Sophie clutched her silver jacket tightly around her. Today was by far the coldest day yet and it was only going to get chillier.

At ten o'clock the temperature was already rapidly declining to below fifty degrees. The wind wasn't particularly strong, but there was still a breeze nonetheless. They were supposed to stay out until at least one in the morning, despite the fact that their chances of seeing anything were better around two or three, but no one was trying to justify being outside that late. Sophie thought this was the most ridiculous concept anyone had ever come up with.

If they _had_ to do this, couldn't it at least have been back in early September when the days were longer and they wouldn't freeze their butts off by just going outside? Who cared if they weren't studying meteor showers at the time?

Madoka and Mei Mei were on their way to meet her, but Sophie hadn't been able to pick them out of the throng of students. Both of them had been present at dinner. After that, though, they had all taken separate paths. She assumed Mei Mei had gone off to see Chao Xin and knowing Madoka, she had spent her time in the library.

The full moon glowed brightly overhead in the clear evening, casting an eerie atmosphere over the scene as it rose higher peeking out over the treetops. All around her students were running wild. A group of girls shrieked as several boys tried to scare them by jumping out from behind the trees, laughing exuberantly. The teachers did little to stop them. Sophie rolled her eyes. At least some people were enjoying this.

She peered up at the night sky. So far, she had yet to see one of the meteors they were supposed to be documenting. Sophie hadn't even bothered to take her notebook out of her bag yet. Some overly eager students were already working, quickly scribbling things down as they look upward, but Sophie couldn't fathom what they were seeing that she wasn't. There was quite literally nothing. She wasn't all that surprised. As she'd learned from her schoolwork, it was the tail end of the meteor shower. There likely wasn't going to be much.

Which, she thought with aggravation, didn't make much sense why they were out here in the first place. They should have gone outside two weeks earlier, even if it had only been marginally warmer outside. The difference would have been noticeable, both in temperature and number of meteors streaking by. This was hardly worth anyone's time at all.

As it was, she debated going back to the dorm to see if she had anything else she could bundle up in. Any minute now, the teachers would be calling them to order. There probably wasn't enough time. Sophie was only just outside the castle, but with the number of students pouring out of the doorway, she supposed it would take several minutes before it was even possible to get back inside. She sighed. It wasn't worth being late and having to suffer through a strict lecture. It had been stated more than once that they had to be outside the front of the castle by ten-thirty. Anyone who arrived later than that would have to face "consequences", whatever those were. It was creeping up on ten-twenty as it was. If she were lucky, Mei Mei or Madoka might have brought something extra she could borrow.

Sophie walked around the edges of the crowd, trying to catch sight of any of her friends. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the dark waters of the lake in the distance covered by a thin veil of fog.

Sophie shuddered. She hoped they wouldn't be taking them out to the lake to watch for meteors. That was way too creepy.

A flash of orange hair captured her attention. She may not have found Madoka or Mei Mei, but she definitely recognized that vivid shade of tangerine.

She pushed through the group despite protests and tapped Wales on the shoulder. He turned, grinning upon realizing it was her. She tried to refrain from looking too overly excited.

As it turned out, the two of them had received matching scores on the exam. Sophie had at first been disappointed, but was grateful he hadn't edged her out for the higher grade. She would never have heard the end of it. Not after she made that big scene that ignited their rivalry in the first place.

"Hey," she smiled. Sophie gestured around them. "This whole thing is pretty crazy, don't you think?"

"I think it's pretty unnecessary," Wales commented and Sophie found herself secretly elated that someone else felt the same as her about the assignment. Madoka had thought it might be interesting, if only because she wanted to compare the sky to the map Mei Mei had taken, and these days Mei Mei was trying extra hard to look on the bright side, forever searching for silver linings.

As the thought crossed her mind, Sophie picked Mei Mei out from the other side of the crowd. The Chinese girl was clinging close to Chao Xin.

Sophie decided to leave them be. Chao Xin understandably hadn't been out much since Halloween and Mei Mei was more than likely keeping a sharp eye out to prevent anything further from happening.

She also caught Madoka hanging out with Gingka and his friends. She had to suppress a small laugh. So much for meeting up and suffering through the night together. Madoka didn't appear as though she was leaving them any time soon. Sophie was certain the three of them would have plenty of stories to tell once they returned to the dorm late tonight.

Sophie linked her arm with Wales. He looked at her in surprise, but she kept a straight face, refusing to give anything away. It was bolder than any of her previous actions, but she was getting tired of tiptoeing around. Sooner or later, one of them was going to have to make a move and now was as good a time as ever.

"Just making sure you don't get lost out in the dark tonight," she said slyly.

Wales arched an eyebrow and pulled her closer to him. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?" Sophie stared up into his cerulean eyes that reminded her of the sea.

Before she had a chance to come up with an equally witty response, a loud, screeching whistle blew. Sophie covered her ears in annoyance and glared ahead where the teachers now stood in a line facing the horde of students. The volume had dropped now, but only marginally.

"We will be leading you all out to the east field," one of them spoke loudly above the clamor. Sophie didn't see Celestia with them. The headmistress must have been busy with other matters. Sophie didn't blame her; if she could have gotten out of this, she definitely would have seized the opportunity. Madoka still hadn't finished translating as much as she wanted with the book she had nicked from her office. Sophie hoped Celestia was still blissfully unaware of its disappearance.

Guilt stung her. She should have tried to help Madoka more with the translation. Sophie didn't know anything about the language either, but that didn't mean she couldn't be of assistance. With two of them working on it, the process would be expedited.

Bringing her attention back to the current situation, Sophie's eyes drifted toward the forest. If nothing else, at least they wouldn't be going in there or near the lake. She hadn't been to the field before, but she had heard from other students who had. It was nothing more than a wide-open grassy space. Sophie was perfectly fine with that. There wouldn't be any way for someone to sneak up on them without their knowledge.

The statement was met with groans all around.

"Quiet!" A voice rang out. "This is a perfect opportunity for you to familiarize yourselves with the heavens. Hopefully some of you read the assignment paper beforehand and are aware it is in your best interests to have brought your textbook along with you." Sophie recognized her astrology/astronomy instructor speaking.

The students formed a sloppy, haphazard line behind the teachers as they led the way. Sophie stayed on the inside of Wales closer to the middle of the group. She didn't want to be on the fringes where any potential creatures could be lurking in the darkness so near to them.

The east field wasn't far at all from the castle. They could easily pick it out, the stone fortress looming high above the trees even in the dark.

Once they arrived, the teachers set them loose. The night air was once more filled with the loud sounds of shouting teenagers. Sophie was aware of the disdain on more than one of the instructors' faces and realized with a jolt that they probably weren't happy to be spending the next two hours out here either.

Several telescopes had been set up for their use. Immediately, they were swarmed by students all fighting for the chance to look through them. She'd be lucky to get near one.

Sophie directed her gaze upwards. The sky was perfectly clear, not a single cloud in sight. Stars shone brightly above her. The trees surrounding them even kept the area a little warmer, blocking some of the wind.

Half an hour later, she had yet to see any meteors. Boredom was fast sinking in. Mei Mei was holding on to the star chart, so she couldn't use that to try and pass the time. Sophie hadn't encountered her since she last saw her earlier back at the castle. Madoka was also nowhere to be seen. Sophie noticed Masamune and Kyoya forcefully pushing their way to a telescope when they'd first arrived, so she wouldn't have been shocked if Madoka had managed to get a glimpse through one if the boys succeeded in holding it hostage and keeping their claim.

Sophie took out her textbook. If she could identify some of the constellations, even if she didn't have the chart, she could compare her own notes to it later. They would have whatever Mei Mei and Madoka recorded, too. Having multiple interpretations of the sky would help solidify how closely the constellations resembled the ones on the map. At least the assignment wouldn't be a total waste of her time.

Wales had wandered close to the edge of the forest a little while ago. She debated chasing after him, except Sophie still didn't feel safe away from the middle of the field where the majority of her classmates were. Flirting would have to wait, she realized with chagrin.

A cry echoed through the night sky. Sophie froze.

She spun around, but no one else seemed to have heard the sound. She relaxed. It was probably just an animal. They were right on the outskirts of the woods after all. She was being paranoid. Nobody was concerned.

Sophie sat on the ground, wishing she had brought a blanket and began to take notes. She caught one meteor whizzing by when someone yelled and pointed it out. Like she'd anticipated though, the night was turning out to be more of a bust than anything.

Madoka waved to her as she ran by, chasing after Gingka for some reason. Sophie shook her head, stifling a laugh, and once more immersed herself in her work.

She didn't even realize how quickly time was passing. Suddenly it was just after midnight. Sophie stood up. Soon enough they'd be out of here.

Now that she had everything she needed for class and Mei Mei's map, it was a good time to go looking for Wales again. Earlier she watched him return to the main group so she could only assume he was still engulfed somewhere in that mess. That was better than the edge of the woods, though, no contest. She would much rather be trapped in the crowd than out looking for him alone in the inky wilderness.

She stopped in front of the group. She didn't see Wales through the mass of people, but from the side she thought she saw him walking back to the forest. The silhouette looked like his anyway. She grimaced. So much for staying safe. With any luck, she'd be able to catch him quickly and convince him to rejoin the others.

Sophie made her way carefully over, thankful that the school had thought ahead and placed some lights outside for them. She flicked on the flashlight on her phone, too. The more lighting the better.

"Wales?" she called quietly.

There was no response.

A dark substance was on the ground. She shined her light on it, following it into the trees, down a little path leading into the forest. Intrigued, Sophie bent down to look at it more closely. She frowned. Up close it looked like-

Blood. It was definitely blood.

She stumbled backwards, covering her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She had to remind herself she was still near the woods. She was freaking out for no reason. It was the same as the cry she heard earlier. Animals were everywhere. Some poor prey animal had gotten itself captured and this little blood trail was the result.

Against her better judgment, Sophie quietly stepped into the woods, shining her flashlight on the blood. She followed the trail with the light, noting the splotches were getting larger as they continued to coat the earth. They were still fresh. The red color gleamed back up at her, reflecting the light. She kept going.

Seconds later, she wished she hadn't.

Nestled under a tree propped up sitting against it was one of her classmates. She didn't know who it was or what had happened, but the glassy look in their eyes said it all.

The poor student's neck was at an awkward angle, a large wound cutting from the left to the right side as it gaped open horribly. Blood had dripped down from it, covering the torso in a bright red spatter that boldly stood out in the dark night surrounding it. Several more gashes were carved across the rest of the body. The right arm appeared to be dislocated, white bone jutting out through the top of the shoulder. An enormous cut sliced across the forehead, leaving the face heavily bloodied and nearly unrecognizable with a nose that had been smashed in.

Bile rising in her throat, she quickly hurried backwards out of the woods unable to scream. She stopped at the edge of the field, leaning over and gagging, doing her best not to throw up. She took a long deep breath, and took several steps backing away from the trees. Sophie shrieked as she bumped into a solid form behind her.

"Sophie?"

She whipped around and saw Wales looking at her with concern. She'd never been so relieved in her life.

"Is everything alright?"

"We've got a problem," she said uneasily.

"What?"

Sophie pointed to the drops of blood staining the ground. Her voice was shaky. "Don't go in the woods."

Wales stared at it. "You've got to be joking."

"I wish. What do we do?"

She and Wales hadn't talked much about the terrible events taking place since Sophie had witnessed those bodies being removed from a storage closet in the boys' wing early on during the academic year, but he trusted her beyond a shadow of a doubt. It took zero convincing for him to believe students were continuing to suffer unpleasant fates.

Wales took her hand. "Let's get out of here. I think the teachers are starting to wrap things up. It should be safer with the rest of the group."

Sophie looked back in agony. It felt horrible, purposely choosing to leave another student out there without telling anyone, but Sophie was more terrified of what might happen if they did tell someone. The student had been hidden in those trees for a reason. The corpse hadn't sat up like that on its own and the gory scene definitely wasn't the work of a wild animal. She and Wales weren't supposed to find them, but ultimately it wouldn't be too much longer before someone else did. Hopefully it would be a teacher, or someone who could better handle the situation. To say anything now would merely serve to incite panic.

Wales and Sophie ran as fast as they could, only stopping once they were surrounded by their fellow classmates. Sophie leaned close to Wales, gripping his hand tight. Soon enough the school would discover what had happened. Sophie planned to stay uninvolved, out of fear she would be next. She had to pretend to be oblivious like everyone else if she wanted to protect herself.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Mei Mei whispered in a hushed tone.

Sophie nodded. "Positive."

Madoka, Mei Mei, and Sophie sat on their beds, filling each other in on the night's events. Sophie had waited until the end, in anxious anticipation what she would say.

"Are you sure it wasn't just the full moon playing tricks on you?" Mei Mei asked, wildly hunting for some other rational explanation in her desperation.

Sophie's heart sank. She had already come to terms with it on the walk back from the east field, but Mei Mei was still struggling to believe another student had become a victim to the secrets of the school. "Yeah. It was definitely a person."

Madoka sighed. "Well, it's not like we aren't entirely used to this, is it? It doesn't make it any less concerning, but this isn't the first time it's happened after all. Deep down we knew it didn't just stop when we were lucky enough to find Chao Xin alive."

"There has to be something tying all this together." Sophie ran her hand through her hair. "These deaths can't all be random, can they?"

"I agree," Madoka assented. "There has to be something we aren't seeing. It's late, though and I'm pretty worn out. Let's get to sleep and try to figure it out tomorrow. Having a fresh view will help."

Sophie was plagued by nightmares, waking up only a few short hours later. A quick glance at the clock told her it was after three. She closed her eyes, but sleep was no longer forthcoming.

The moon was still shining brightly through the window. She blinked. The vivid silver streams creeping into the room made it that much harder to fall back asleep. The last time the moon had been full was Halloween. It was weird to think that was already nearly a month ago. They had found Chao Xin-

Sophie let out a gasp. There was no way. It wasn't possible.

A light bulb had just switched on in her head. Chao Xin had been attacked the night of a full moon. Tonight was another full moon, and she had found that body in the woods. Surely it had to be a coincidence. It wasn't as though the moon could be the cause of everything.

But then… could it? Considering all the strange goings-on, the idea might not be as far-fetched as she thought.

Sophie racked her brain. The other students who had died- how many of them had there been? When had they died? What about Selen and Lera?

A sinking feeling arose in the pit of her stomach. She didn't dare leave the dorm room at this hour with the full moon bearing down on her, but once the sun was up, she'd have to go to the library immediately to confirm her suspicions. She didn't want to risk telling her friends until she was confident her theory was valid. It would be heartbreaking to raise their hopes only to realize it was yet another dead end.

She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, so Sophie stared at the ceiling dreading what was to come in the next few hours.

Sophie slipped from the room before both her friends were up. She took her cosmology book and the returned exam from the previous week with her. Few students roamed the halls. Several teachers were out as well. The library was almost completely empty when she got there.

Sophie tucked herself away in one of the corner tables and took out a piece of paper. Sophie was never one to do any work this early in the morning, but their dire situation made it absolutely necessary. She didn't want to do this in her dorm, where the other girls could ask about what she was working on. She was too scared of what she might find. At the top of the paper, she wrote September, then the rest of the months in succession up to December.

Under October, she wrote 31, followed by Chao Xin's name. Sophie filled out the dates as best she could remember. Lera and Selen had both died at the beginning of the year. Once she had written down everything she knew, Sophie took out the calendar she had snatched from the wall of the library.

According to the calendar, there had been a full moon when school started. Had Selen and Lera both been its victim? There was a good chance.

Chao Xin hadn't died on Halloween, though. Could that mean someone else had died in his place as soon as whoever did this realized he had survived? A chill raced through her. What if the person responsible for all this had seen them rescuing him?

The full moon idea didn't explain the deaths that had occurred between the lunar cycles. There were too many of those to ignore or brush off as simply chance. Something still didn't fully add up.

Sophie glanced at her exam. This was probably all in her head. She was looking too deeply into it.

The dates she had written on the exam for the meteor showers loomed ominously. A strange sense of foreboding filling her, Sophie began to match the dates with the rough estimates she had made for the deaths of other students.

Most of the deaths had occurred during the heights of the meteor showers for the year. Selen's was closer to the end of the shower, but what if that had been the earliest whoever was masterminding this had access to a large group of people where it would be fairly easy to hide if one or two people went missing from time to time?

Sophie felt sick. She had been right. The deaths of the students aligned with cosmic events.

She felt certain there was only one person who could be behind this. At the very least, Headmistress Celestia had to be aware of something. Sophie needed to follow in Madoka's footsteps and break into Celestia's office.

She realized she hadn't checked the date Hikaru and Ryuga went missing. Sophie braced herself before looking, just in case. It fell within a shower, though not at a peak time as far as she could tell. Still, the thought didn't comfort her. Selen was proof that anyone could die at any point during the event. Hikaru and Ryuga might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, resulting in their downfall.

Feet heavy, Sophie carried herself back to the dorm as fast as she could.

Madoka and Mei Mei were gone. They could have gone anywhere: breakfast, the showers, even the library when Sophie had been walking back. There were too many options. Sophie felt antsy. She couldn't just stand around here doing nothing. Something had to be done.

She made her way to the dorm of the only other person in the school she was certain she could trust. To her delight, Wales answered the door.

"Sophie?" His eyes widened. "It's not even seven-thirty yet. What are you doing here?"

Sophie pushed the door open, closing it behind her so she could be sure they were safe. Fortunately, his roommate had already left.

She took a deep breath. "I need your help with something."

He raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I need you to help me get in Celestia's office as soon as possible. Like, right now, preferably."

She supposed she should have expected the baffled expression that crossed his face before she finished speaking.


	16. It's Over

**Thanks for the birthday wishes :) Special shoutout to Guest, Guest, Guest, Guest, and King of darkness/Omega Darkseid for your reviews! I love seeing the theories you guys come up with about the direction this story is taking. The chapter song here is "It's Over" by Nemesea.**

 **On another note, I'm going to assume some of you guys have read a few of my other stories: which is your favorite? I'm curious which genres I've written everyone is most interested in. If you have an opinion, let me know in a review! See you guys soon with another update!**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

"You want to break into Celestia's office?" Wales was incredulous.

Sophie knew there wasn't much time. She told everything him everything she'd learned as fast as she could.

"So will you help?" Sophie asked breathlessly. She didn't bother trying to hide the anxiety creeping into her voice.

Wales looked stunned. "I don't think this is a good idea," he said uneasily.

Sophie tapped her foot impatiently. "Look. This is the first good lead we've gotten in a while. Maybe I'm wrong and this is all one big freaky coincidence, but what if it isn't? What if this could give us the answers we need so we can escape?"

Wales shifted uncomfortably. "That's true, but this is dangerous. What happens if you get caught? What if it all ends there?"

"I've thought about that," Sophie admitted. The next few words came out in a rush. "But I feel like there's no other choice. Madoka got a book from her office that she's still translating; maybe there's something more in that. The book might not be as helpful as we think. It's mostly about Celestia's family, I believe. She's only been able to get through a little bit so far."

"It just seems odd that Celestia would be behind this. Why would she want to turn her own students into victims? Doesn't the school need students to attend if it wants to stay open?"

"Who knows? No one from the outside has a clue what's going on here. We're completely isolated. Maybe she isn't causing this, but the fact remains that Madoka found a crypt underneath the school belonging to her ancestors _and_ there's a coffin with her name on it from hundreds of years ago. Tell me that's not suspicious."

"I'm not saying it's not suspicious, I'm saying I don't know if it's worth the risk."

Her eyes were pleading. "Wales, we could die at any moment in this school. Look at the kid we found outside last night. Do you think they expected to die when they were brought out with the rest of the class? Do you think anyone we've found expected that to happen to them? I'm doing this, with or without your help."

"Fine," Wales relented. "What do you want me to do?"

Twenty minutes later they were standing in the hall in front of where Celestia's office was supposed to be. Sophie felt confident the headmistress wouldn't be inside. She was frequently out in the halls and made appearances in the dining hall at this hour, regularly checking in on the students each morning as classes started up.

Sophie took a step toward the statue. "Keep an eye out for anyone coming this way. I shouldn't be gone long."

"If Celestia comes, I don't know if I'll be able to stop her from coming in."

"Understood," Sophie smiled slightly. "Madoka was able to hear her coming through the passage. If I hear anything, I'll sneak out the second bookshelf passage before something can happen."

She faced the statue, grasping it in her hand. It was now or never. She should have talked to Mei Mei or Madoka before being so reckless, but she didn't have the time to find them. She would have to tell them later when it was all said and done.

Sophie took a deep breath. Madoka had already been there, but she'd escaped. Sophie could use all the knowledge Madoka gained from that experience to her advantage. If anything, she'd be safer than Madoka had been when she'd first sneaked into the office. She wasn't completely venturing into the unknown.

"Wait," Wales stopped her, grabbing her arm. Sophie looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

He stopped her from saying anything further by surprising her with a kiss. "That's for luck."

Sophie nodded mutely, a little overwhelmed. She took his hand and kissed him in response. "Be safe out here."

Wales gave her a little smile. She hoped it wouldn't be long before she saw him again. She almost wished she didn't have to do this now. She wanted to run back to his dorm so the two of them could wait out the storm together. There would be time for that later. Her hand slipped out of his as she took hold of the statue once more.

Feeling marginally more confident, Sophie opened the passage as Madoka had explained to her. Only now was she beginning to realize exactly how crazy the idea was, but the adrenaline pumping through her made it difficult to think rationally.

Sophie walked down the narrow passage as quickly and loudly as she dared. Once at the door, she tentatively pushed it open and peered inside. The room was empty, just as she'd suspected.

Celestia's office was more spacious than she had expected. The way Madoka described it, Sophie thought it would be packed from end to end, floor to ceiling with varying books, instruments, and other paraphernalia.

She realized she had no idea where to start. Sophie had been so obsessed with getting _into_ the office she hadn't considered what she would do once she actually got there.

She fluffed out her hair behind her, smoothing it down. That was no big deal. Madoka and Gingka had given the room a once-over previously. They would have picked up on anything major that stood out, and Madoka would have told Sophie and Mei Mei about it when she filled them in on everything else. If anything, finding student records might help. She could have done that in the main office, she supposed, but maybe this office would have more information stored away.

Sophie sat at the computer. It wasn't locked, fortunately. Celestia probably assumed she wouldn't need to password-protect the computer since her office was so difficult to locate in the first place. Sophie certainly would never have known where it was if Madoka hadn't told her.

As she suspected, there was a folder containing files for all the students. She clicked on the top file. It opened to a spreadsheet with a list of everyone's name.

Her breath caught. Next to several of the students, she noted as she scrolled down, there were varying notations. Lera and Selen, along with a few others, had an "x" next to them in the column to the right. Sophie didn't have to guess to know what that indicated.

Chao Xin had a hyphen next to his name. Sophie wondered if there were plans to try and take him out a second time after he'd managed to barely survive.

The more she examined the sheet, the more certain she felt her suspicions had been right. The school was orchestrating the entire thing, but she still didn't know why. If it was going to be anywhere, though, Sophie was positive she could find the answer in this room.

On a whim, she nervously scrolled down to her own name. A question mark was listed next to it. Sophie frowned. Whatever that meant, it couldn't be good.

She was struck with a jolt. The answer to a question that had been haunting her for over a month now was on this sheet. Her hand shook over the mouse. Dreading what she might see, Sophie started looking for Hikaru's name. She didn't want to know the truth, but this way she wouldn't be left wondering anymore.

"See anything you like?" An icy cold, sharp voice cut through the air.

Sophie screamed as Celestia materialized in the room accompanied by several hooded characters. Two more appeared from the passage by the bookshelf. She'd been so engrossed in looking at the spreadsheet she hadn't been paying attention for outside noises. But that couldn't have been right. Sophie still should have been able to hear a group this big coming regardless.

"Clever idea having that young man keep watch outside," Celestia commented. "But we don't need to concern ourselves with him any further."

"Now we know who has been breaking into your office, goddess," one of the figures spoke roughly.

Two of the hooded attendants grabbed Sophie's shoulders and removed her from the chair, effectively restraining her as they brought her face-to-face with Celestia.

"What have you done to Wales?" Sophie shouted, furiously struggling against her captors. She kicked upwards as they lifted her up from the ground. Of course. Somehow, Celestia must have realized what Wales was doing, so they took care coming into the room making sure Sophie would be unable to detect their approaching presence, preventing her from escaping.

"Nothing you need to worry about, my dear." She spoke with glee, "It seems I was correct about this one."

Sophie looked around wildly, desperate for an escape. She didn't know where she could go, but anywhere was better than here.

Celestia tapped Sophie's head. "Stop fighting. You will make a wonderful special sacrifice."

Sophie paused. Special sacrifice?

"Shall we take her to the dungeons?" One of the hooded figures asked.

"No," Celestia said silkily. "Do not think I have forgotten about your previous failure just yet. I will personally see to it that she is escorted to the holding place."

Before Sophie had a chance to struggle any further, she saw a hand coming at her and suddenly all went black.

* * *

Mei Mei was eating lunch when she got the distinct feeling something was wrong. She had just said good-bye to Chao Xin and left him in his dorm, so she felt sure he had to be okay. It wasn't possible for anything to have happened to him in the short amount of time she was gone. She could see Madoka in the middle of the lunch line.

She hadn't seen Sophie since after the late-night outing when she recounted the chilling story of finding a body tucked away in the woods once they were back in the safety of their dorm, but that didn't have to mean anything. Sophie was rarely at lunch with them as it was. It wasn't uncommon for Sophie to be the first one awake in the morning either.

Still, she couldn't quite shake the unease settling over her.

Madoka put her tray down next to her. Her face fell slightly.

"What's wrong, Mei Mei?"

"It's nothing," she tried to smile. She didn't realize dismay had been written all over her face. "I'm still not over what Sophie told us last night."

"Understandable," Madoka agreed.

Mei Mei attempted to remain composed through the rest of lunch, talking casually with Madoka. For some reason, getting out of the crowded dining hall was the only thing on her mind. She tapped her foot impatiently.

Before afternoon classes, they planned to make a quick stop at their dorm. Madoka had reassured her everything was fine, but Mei Mei needed to double-check to be sure. She didn't even know what she was hoping to find, but even getting to the dorm and seeing its familiar sights would help put her at ease a little.

A shriek down the hall captivated the attention of everyone standing outside the dining hall.

Against their better judgment, the two girls chased after it.

It didn't take long to figure out what had caused the sound. A few students were staring open-mouthed at something on the floor. Madoka whispered to Mei Mei that they were right outside the passage to Celestia's office. They pushed aside the students to get a better look, bracing themselves for a shock.

Wales was lying on the ground, holding his head. Madoka took a step toward him cautiously.

"Wales?"

She bent down and shook him gently. After a moment, he finally began to stir.

"Sophie!"

The word wrenched itself from his throat. He stood up, wavering, nearly collapsing back on the ground in the process. A gory gash was on his forehead, the blood now dried. Madoka and Mei Mei held him steady.

He was shaking uncontrollably. "They have her! I was guarding the entrance, but they knocked me out! They have Sophie," he wheezed. "She wouldn't have had time to escape. She had no warning. It's been hours."

Mei Mei and Madoka shared a worried glance. Wales was beginning to attract the attention of more on-looking students. The hall wasn't particularly well traversed during classes, which explained why no one had seen him earlier, but the size of the crowd was fast ballooning.

"C'mon," Madoka whispered quietly. "We'll take you back to your dorm, and you can tell us everything there."

Wales managed to stand long enough for Mei Mei and Madoka to get on either side of him to support him. They earned more than a few stares making it to the boys' wing, but those didn't matter. He seemed to think something terrible had happened to Sophie. Mei Mei prayed he was wrong.

Wales sat up weakly in the chair. "Sophie-"

"Relax," Madoka instructed in a soothing voice. "Can you tell us what happened? What were you doing there?"

"Sophie came into my dorm early this morning," Wales explained quickly. "She wanted to get into Celestia's office; she thought there was a connection between her and the missing students."

"A connection?" Mei Mei asked. This was the first she'd heard of Sophie of all people looking into the secrets swirling around Starlight Academy. Sophie was the one most adamant about keeping their heads down and not looking for trouble.

"Right," Wales nodded vigorously. "She somehow figured out all the… bad things happening around here are tied to cosmic events. People having typically been dying either during the full moon or around the peak of meteor showers."

Madoka looked at him in surprise. "Of course," she breathed. "We should have figured that out sooner, but we were so invested in everything else we overlooked it. It's so obvious now. Last night, Chao Xin in October… It all makes sense. There were full moons on both of those nights."

"So Sophie wanted to go into Celestia's office," Mei Mei repeated. "And you two knew how to get in because Madoka has been in there before. But she almost got caught! Why would Sophie want to go there if she knew it was such a risk?"

"She thought there was no other choice," Wales said softly. "I was supposed to stand guard until she came back out. Someone came out of nowhere and knocked me out. By the time I came to, it was already too late and I passed out again almost immediately. The first time I woke up, I was tucked behind the statue used to get into the office, where I was kind of hidden from sight. I'm not sure how I got out to the middle of the hall."

Mei Mei smiled sadly. "There's nothing you could have done," she said comfortingly. "At least you tried to help her."

"Yeah…," Wales was clearly drifting off into his own world. He looked drained now even more than before. Madoka and Mei Mei left the dorm to give him some privacy.

"What do we do?" Mei Mei whispered as she shut the door. Her heart rate increased as she thought about Sophie being alone with Celestia.

"I-I don't know yet," Madoka confessed. "We'll think of something. Let's go to class and pretend everything is normal so we don't draw any attention. If Celestia has Sophie, then she'll be expecting her friends to go looking for her. I wouldn't be surprised if she has traps set for us. Let's just pretend we haven't noticed anything is wrong yet. T-There's nothing we can do for Sophie right now anyway. I'll try to come up with something."

Mei Mei nodded her assent. The two took their separate paths.

Class dragged on and on. Mei Mei's mind felt like a spinning mess. She couldn't stop worrying about Sophie and if she had met the same fate as Hikaru or if something much more sinister had happened. Sitting still as the instructor droned on wasn't helping.

It was impossible to think up a good plan to rescue Sophie when they didn't even know where she was. How would they beat Celestia if they got that far? Surely the headmistress had others helping her they would have to get past first.

They didn't know for certain what kind of condition Sophie was in. There was the absolute worst-case scenario, which Mei Mei refused to think about, or maybe Sophie was okay and no harm had come to her- yet. Celestia had found Sophie in her secret office; there was no way that confrontation had gone well. Mei Mei prayed that if Sophie had been hurt, her injuries were not life-threatening. It was too much to hope Celestia had left her untouched.

All Mei Mei really wanted to do was go out and find her friend. Madoka was right, though. They needed to be careful.

She fretted all throughout class, completely tuning out every idea that passed through her head. She could only hope Madoka was having better luck than she was.

Finally, the teacher dismissed the class. Mei Mei barely restrained herself from running out.

Madoka was in her next class. Whether or not she had come up with an idea, Mei Mei didn't care. Her primary concern was making sure her friend was still okay. No harm had come to Mei Mei while she navigated the halls, but until she saw Madoka face-to-face, she couldn't bring herself to relax. After reconvening with Madoka, they could choose their next course of action.

Mei Mei was horrified considering the thought of being alone in the castle. If all her friends were gone, she'd prefer to be gone, too. As much as she liked Chao Xin, she couldn't bear the thought of being without her best friends. Everything had happened so fast, and it was already down to two of them, the other half disappeared without a trace.

Madoka arrived in front of the door about the same time she did. Mei Mei sighed in relief.

Madoka and Mei Mei took their usual seats in their astro class. Class didn't start for another few minutes, but the room was strangely empty. Hikaru, Ryuga, and Sophie's vacant desks looming all around them didn't help.

"Oh no," Madoka whispered. Mei Mei looked up from her desk and saw the other girl's expression was fearful.

"What's wrong?" Mei Mei asked anxiously.

"We left Wales alone in his dorm. Whoever knocked him out saw his face. He was hidden behind the statue where no one would notice unless they looked closely. I bet they were planning on going back to get him later. They'll be looking for him soon. They have to know by now he's gone. He got caught up in what Sophie was doing, so if they think he knows something they won't take the risk. They'll check the places he's most likely to be."

Mei Mei peered at the door, perturbed. "We can't sit through class. We need to go check on him now!"

Madoka stood up. She didn't waste any time getting out the door. Mei Mei followed suit. The teacher had yet to arrive; there was no authority figure to stop or question the two. When the instructor did show, she would never know the girls had been there at all. Mei Mei was positive their behavior must've come off as odd to their classmates. She noticed Gingka watching Madoka's retreating back with concern.

Mei Mei clenched her fists as she ran, frustrated with herself. They should have seen this coming. Wales was worn out and needed rest, but they should have pressed him further. Their situation was dire. He could've known something more. Something that could've helped them.

Mei Mei and Madoka ran back to the dorm as fast as they could, skidding to a halt. The door was slightly ajar.

They were too late.

They slipped inside. It was blatantly obvious a struggle had taken place in the room. Books and papers were strewn everywhere. One of the desk chairs was toppled over on its side. A mattress was half-off one of the beds.

Wales was gone and with him any hope of finding out what happened to Sophie.

* * *

Sophie awoke on a hard, solid surface. She blinked, allowing her vision to refocus.

She was on a large stone slab in a room with no windows. A small, barred opening in the door allowed little light in. Sophie raced over to it.

She pulled on the handle to no avail. She yanked harder.

"It's no use," a dull voice said with a humorless laugh. "There's no way out."

Sophie whirled around.

An impossibly thin teen was sitting on a second slab next to the one she had woken up on. His arms were barely more than bone and she wasn't even positive he could stand, he looked so weak and malnourished. The boy's white hair stood up wildly on end, matted in some areas. If he hadn't said anything, he could've passed for a corpse.

Something about him seemed incredibly familiar. Sophie nearly let out a gasp.

"Ryuga?"

As soon as the name left her lips, she knew she was wrong. His hair was almost identical to Ryuga's except the bright splotch of red was on the opposite side.

His eyes widened. "No," he whispered fearfully. "Ryuga's not here, is he? Please tell me he isn't."

Sophie disregarded the question. "Who are you? How do you know Ryuga?"

The boy stared directly at her, looking deep into her eyes as he refused to let her gaze go. Sophie began to feel uncomfortable.

"I am Ryuto. Ryuga is my brother."


	17. First Day in Hell

**Are we really already at Chapter 17? That's wild. A little update on the life of GhostFairy: I've picked up a second job and I'm really hoping it won't interfere with my updating too much, but we'll have to see. Mondays in particular are crazy busy and that's the day I typically did my writing/editing, but I'll still make this work :)**

 **Thank you to Guest, Guest, and Guest for your reviews, I love seeing your reactions and thoughts on where this is going/the story overall. The chapter song this time is "First Day in Hell" by Arch Enemy.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Madoka stared at the mess that had become Wales's dorm in twisted horror. Dread filled her.

Wales was gone. They didn't get a chance to even remotely ask him everything they needed to. She could see Mei Mei nervously counting on her fingers. That was two more of their friends gone. Fear wrapped her as she contemplated that either one of them could be next. She tried not to dwell on it.

"Let's go back to our dorm," Madoka said at last. "There's no point in going back to class."

The hallways were empty. Even though she knew the classrooms were full, Madoka found the bare corridors unsettling.

Mei Mei shut the door tight and locked it behind her. Madoka watched her do the task with a tinge of sadness. With their other two best friends gone, it wasn't likely for anyone else to come bursting through the door any time soon. They were the only ones left.

"Do you think they know we're involved?" Mei Mei asked, sitting on her bed.

Madoka shrugged. "There's no way for us to be sure. We need to be extra careful from now on in case."

Mei Mei had brought up a major concern. It wasn't as if the school was unaware of their friendship with Sophie. If they suspected Mei Mei and Madoka had a hand in Sophie's actions sneaking into Celestia's office, they wouldn't hesitate to act.

Madoka glanced around the room in a desperate attempt to distract herself. No one had come after either of them yet, so that had to be a good sign. Sophie had only been gone for hours, but if the culprit really thought the two girls were a true threat then that person would have dealt with them by now in theory. Madoka wasn't going to use that reasoning to convince herself that meant they were entirely safe, though. Safety was only an illusion.

The book she'd been hard at work translating was still open on her desk.

In truth, Madoka had been avoiding it the past few days. Translating it was so much harder than she ever expected. The book seemed to emit a menacing aura, to the point where she could only work at it for so longer before she began to feel too overwhelmed. Once that happened, it made continuing near impossible.

What she had gotten through wasn't much. She recognized a few dates and names that matched up with those in the crypt, but their full stories remained lost to her. The history of the Celestia family was a murky web.

The deeper she got into it, the less she understood. So many of the words didn't fully translate to modern language and their meaning stayed a mystery.

Despite not working on it as much as she should have, the book constantly consumed her mind during classes, meals, homework, and her rare free time. She couldn't escape it no matter what she did.

Madoka shoved the book into her bag. It didn't matter that she wasn't going anywhere at the moment. She needed to keep the book on her at all times. If they caught her with it, so be it. That was better than them breaking into the dorm and finding it there. If she had it on her when she was captured, then it was already too late. The last thing she wanted was any evidence lying around that she had been in the office. Leaving the book in the dorm where anyone could find it was dangerous. There would be no way to explain herself.

"Have you had much luck?" Mei Mei asked as she watched Madoka carry out the task.

"No," Madoka replied. "It's not looking too good."

Madoka stared out the window. More than anything she wished Hikaru and Sophie were with them right now. That was how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be having the time of their young lives. Going to an exclusive boarding school wasn't supposed to turn into a nightmare where the administrators of all people were the ones terrorizing them.

Madoka still found it impossible to understand the motive behind it all. While she could accept what was happening, as horrific as it was, the reason for it all eluded her. Maybe if they could find it, they could bring an end to the madness.

"Didn't Wales say Sophie found some connection between the night sky and the deaths of students?"

"That's right!" Madoka sat up excitedly as Mei Mei's question brought her back to reality. "She was definitely on to something." Sophie and Wales might be gone, but at least they had an inkling of what they'd been up to before their disappearances. Wales had managed to remain free long enough to give them that shred of information.

Madoka ran over to Sophie's desk, which was covered with schoolwork. She didn't see Sophie's cosmology book or any notes for the class. Refusing to let that stop her, Madoka opened up her own.

She went through each month leading up to the start of December and marked up dates where something sinister had taken place. Then, she compared the dates with the lunar calendar and other dates in her textbook.

"Sophie was right," Madoka exhaled. "They match up near perfectly."

Mei Mei came over to sit next to her. "What does it mean?"

"No idea. Sophie must've thought something in Celestia's office could have explained it, but she wasn't thinking clearly and went running straight there without telling anyone much of what she was looking for and with Wales gone now too, there's no way to be sure. Unless we find Sophie, we won't know what she was looking for or if she found it. She might've uncovered something even more we haven't considered. "

Madoka pondered the new information. They definitely couldn't go anywhere near Celestia's office now. That path had effectively been blocked, along with the off-limits answers it might have held. Finding Sophie was still off the table, too. As more time trickled away since her disappearance, it unfortunately made it less likely she was still in good condition.

On one hand, this revelation at least proved there was a pattern to what was happening, but that still wasn't the greatest news. They could only relax for a short time while the cosmos themselves were calm.

Mei Mei was already one step ahead of her. "When's the next meteor shower?"

"I think there might be one in early December if I remember correctly…" Madoka mused. "Okay. There's one starting next week, but it won't peak for about a week after that. Then there's one more around the time of the winter solstice."

Mei Mei nodded. "Then we've got about two weeks where we should be safe."

"Ideally," Madoka stood up. "Unfortunately, that isn't much time. After that, with two meteor showers back to back, there isn't any time to waste. And following those we'll have to worry about the full moon again. We need to get together as much information as we can now."

"What do you suggest?"

Madoka's eyes were pained. "Anything. Even if… Even if it's a way out. If we find an escape route, we have to take it, even though it means leaving Sophie and Hikaru behind. We don't know what happened to them. If we find a way out, but we get caught trying to find them, assuming they're still, well, alive, it'll have been for nothing." She felt awful hearing the words come out, as if she were betraying the other girls by saying them. Leaving her friends behind meant giving up on them.

"We would want them to leave if the situation were reversed," Mei Mei said quietly. "I wouldn't want them to lose time looking for me and have that be the reason they don't make it out."

Madoka considered it, knowing she was right. As selfish as it was, they needed to think about themselves at this point.

If Sophie and Hikaru were gone as they feared, then attempting to find them was nothing more than a lost cause. Hikaru had been missing for well over a month. By now, they had to face facts that she wouldn't be coming back. Madoka had already come to terms with that. Sophie was the one she was more focused on at the moment. Would Celestia have killed her right away when she found her snooping through the office, or was she saving Sophie for one of the meteor showers? Celestia had Wales now, too. The headmistress would've gotten all the answers she needed from them; how long would she allow the two trespassers to live?

Madoka motioned to the book she'd been translating. "I don't think that has the answers we've been looking for."

Admitting it felt like defeat, but deep down Madoka knew it was true. What were the chances the _one_ book she took out of everything in that office had all the answers they wanted? Granted, it might have a few, but there was no way one book could solve everything. Just because the book was about the Celestia family didn't mean it would tie things up in a neat little bow for them. Life didn't work that way, and seeing as they had ended up at Starlight Academy, luck clearly wasn't on their side anyway.

"Do you think we should go back to the office?" Mei Mei asked. "I feel like it's too dangerous to try a third time."

"Way too dangerous," Madoka agreed. "I don't even want to think about what could happen if we go back one last time. We have to work with what we already have."

"Wait!" Mei Mei's eyes lit up as she rushed over to her bag. "I have that old star map. When we were outside, I tried comparing it to the sky."

"Did it match?" Madoka asked eagerly. With the floor being pulled out from underneath them again with the latest events, Madoka had completely forgotten about the intentions they'd had for last night's field trip. So much had happened in less than twenty-four hours.

"Not quite, but there were some similarities."

Madoka considered what Mei Mei was saying. If it was close, that could mean one of two things.

Either the map was old enough that the sky had actually changed slightly due to variations in orbits and rotation patterns from when it was first made, or it was from a later date in December rather than the very beginning of the month. Both seemed like equally viable options, but she needed to see Mei Mei's notes to be sure.

Mei Mei handed her the old map along with the map she had drawn for class and her annotations detailing comparisons between the two. Madoka opened her textbook so she could cross-reference them.

After studying them both carefully for several minutes in complete silence, Madoka felt confident in the conclusion she was reaching. She confirmed that the current location of the castle was the site where the original map had been made.

"The map isn't from early December," she decided. "The way the stars appear to be moving, it seems like they'll match up with the old map more closely later this month."

"But when?" Mei Mei asked anxiously.

"That I don't know," Madoka confessed. "A few more weeks, most likely, but that's still only a guess. Somehow we're going to have to find a way to keep track of the night sky to determine when it lines up."

"It's too dangerous to keep going outside to check." Mei Mei smoothed down her hair nervously.

"I know. There has to be something else we can do."

Their conversation died down, and Madoka suddenly found herself exhausted. Dinner would not be happening tonight. She didn't have the energy nor any desire to leave the dorm. Madoka lied down on her bed and passed out.

Hours later, she awoke to find it was dark outside.

Mei Mei wasn't in the room, but a quick glance at the clock told her it was barely eight-thirty. If Mei Mei wasn't back later than nine, then she would start getting concerned. As it was, there was no reason to worry yet. She didn't need to add undue stress to the real problems facing her. Her nerves were already battered enough.

Outside the room, she could hear chatter and footsteps of other students walking around. It calmed her. When she woke up in the middle of the night from time to time, the silence was unnerving.

Madoka flipped on the lights. If she wasn't sleeping, they had to go on. She wasn't staying in the dark here, that was a given.

Sleep definitely wasn't coming now. She'd fallen asleep so easily before, exhausted and terrified from recent events. Now, her mind was racing endlessly.

Resolved, Madoka pulled out the book from when she'd pushed it to the bottom of her bag earlier in the evening.

It was time to stop ignoring the book and find out if it really had any value to them. She took out the notebook she'd been using and opened up to where she'd left off. The dictionary sat on her desk where she'd last left it, waiting to be used again.

Madoka sprawled out on her bed, books surrounding her, and got to work.

She intently worked through each word, finding its meaning and scribbling it down. After each sentence, she tried to piece it together as best she could. It was slow going, but this was the only way to do it. The translation wouldn't be perfect, but it would be close enough to be understood.

Mei Mei came back a while later. Madoka was so engrossed in her work she barely noticed. After the other girl shut off the lights to get some sleep, Madoka flipped on her small desk light and continued on.

What might have been a knock at the door briefly caught her attention, but when she didn't hear anything further she ignored it. Madoka was used to the strange noises around the school at night by this time. Before, she may have gone to check it, but that time was long behind her. Besides, if something was outside the door, she certainly didn't want to know what it could be at this hour.

Several hours later, she stared down at the book in horror.

There had to be something wrong with her translation. It was too terrible to be real.

Celestia was hundreds of years old. She'd feared that actuality ever since she and Gingka stumbled upon the coffin so many months ago. Celestia had become immortal by means of an ancient enchantment.

Penelope Celestia had been a younger daughter of the royal family in what Madoka assumed was a country that no longer existed. Earlier parts of the book had helped her unravel some of the history of the country, the only downside being she had never heard of it, let alone that it had ever existed. She wasn't even sure where it was from. The book didn't provide enough insight for her to place it somewhere on a map.

At a young age, Celestia had been selected to become a special priestess and take part in a ritual. When it came time for that ritual, Madoka translated, something went extremely wrong and Penelope had completely vanished.

Shaking, Madoka flipped the book over to check the author and publication date.

The title was nothing more than Celestia, that being what led her to take the book in the first place. She still didn't understand how, out of the hundreds of books in that secret library, it had been one of the first she'd picked. So little effort had been necessary to find it.

As she'd suspected, the book was several hundred years old. The date read 1750. Going by what she had seen in the crypt, Celestia would have been one hundred and three when the book was published. The thought chilled her.

Madoka frowned. The name of the author had been crossed out on the first few pages. When she looked on the cover, it looked as though someone had made an effort to wipe it off that as well. It appeared as if someone had taken a sharp tool and slashed across the soft, worn leather. Madoka attempted to push the leather back where it would have been without the damage, but it was too frayed. She couldn't tell what it was supposed to be.

She pondered whether it was significant or just a coincidence. It seemed odd that someone would have gone out of their way to cover up any mention of the author, but then keep the book.

Although, perhaps Celestia didn't want anyone else getting their hands on the book. Maybe that was why she was holding on to it. It seemed to hold an awful lot of information on her family history. Madoka didn't have time to go through it in its entirety, but there were likely more secrets in there that Celestia would not want getting out.

Madoka didn't pretend to understand anything anymore, especially whatever Celestia's reasoning may be. Knowing she was immortal meant she'd spent several lifetimes doing things Madoka couldn't even dream of. Still, the mystery surrounding the author definitely piqued her interest.

Who could this author have been that it would have warranted covering up any trace of them? Was this a widely published book? Madoka doubted it, but there could have been other copies in circulation somewhere. If there were others out there, she was certain they would be near impossible to find, owing to their age and the language they were written in. In the event there were more, they were likely part of private collections, belonging to people who had no idea the secrets they held. Besides, she didn't have any hope of getting out of the castle; there was no way she could get to the other books if they were out there.

Not to mention, if Madoka did leave the castle, there was no way in hell she'd be coming back just to figure out what was going on with Celestia and the mystery author. If Madoka escaped, she would never set foot within a hundred miles of Starlight Academy ever again.

For once, fate had guided her to the one book she needed, but now she wasn't so sure she appreciated what she had been given. The answers she had uncovered filled her with terror, and the things she still didn't know were now complemented by even more questions. It was endless.

In the bed across from her, Mei Mei was sleeping peacefully. Madoka envied her. Granted, it wouldn't be long before morning came and Madoka would have to tell her what she had learned, but at least for now the other girl was oblivious to what was really going on.

She felt antsy suddenly. Madoka couldn't leave the room, especially now when it was well past midnight, but sitting in the dorm in the darkness with only a single small light felt like torture.

Nobody else would be up either, she realized as she reached for her phone. Anyone else should have gone to sleep at a reasonable hour. Anyone who hadn't and was out at night in the halls was as good as dead. It wasn't like she had anyone she could talk to either. Mei Mei was sleeping next to her, and she couldn't get good reception in the first place. She supposed Gingka was an option, but the thought of dragging him further into this scared her. She'd already lost Hikaru and Sophie. She didn't want to put him at risk, too.

Madoka sat on her bed, pulling her legs in and hugging her knees to her chest. It was so unfair.

Even if she did manage to get some sleep, Madoka knew it would be poor at best. Then she would have to break the news to Mei Mei almost instantly when she woke up. The thought made her sick that she had to be the one to relay the information.

If she hadn't gone into Celestia's office, would Sophie have been inclined to do the same? Would she have ever figured out where it was or had reason to go in there? Sophie could have been with them right now if she hadn't gone into that office. Wales, too. Madoka hated to think she might have played a part in what happened to the others. If she hadn't gone, though, there was no way she could have figured out what they were up against. Except, now that they knew, did they even have a chance? Things were so much worse than she could have imagined. Maybe blissful ignorance would have been best.

The truth seemed so impossible she could hardly believe how easily she had accepted it. It was something out of a nightmare or a horror story, not real life. Yet Madoka had no doubt in her mind that what she had discovered had to be true. In a convoluted way, it was too far-fetched not to be.

She'd known from day one that something was different about Starlight Academy; the entire campus exuded a strange energy. Initially, it wasn't something that she could have identified as good or bad. Now, she realized the school was pulsating with a dark ambience that was easily concealed under carefully arranged lies.

As much as she hoped Penelope was just a name the headmistress shared with one of her ancestors, the facts she did have were too much to ignore.

When she put the pieces together, some of them added up so well she could hardly believe it herself. They aligned a little too perfectly. Now that she knew, they needed to make a plan. Madoka was utterly lost. Was there any plan in the world that could help them? How would she figure it out? It wasn't as though the book would have that answer, of that much she was certain. The book had already been of more use than expected. This was something she needed to figure out on her own, assuming it was even possible.

The book had only told her that Celestia had become immortal through supernatural means. Did that mean she could be destroyed by supernatural means as well? Madoka pondered the thought. Either Celestia was truly immortal and nothing could change that, which meant they were doomed, or they still had a slim chance. The only alternative she could come up with was that something was sustaining her, and once whatever that was had been taken from her, she would be mortal again, and that would at least somewhat shift the odds in their favor, making the battle a little more even.

Madoka racked her brains. What could possibly be sustaining Celestia? She wasn't a vampire, so blood wasn't the answer, at least Madoka didn't think that was the case. Did she always wear some sort of jewelry that may have been tied to the ritual that had gone wrong, the event responsible for all this? The book had said this particular member of the Celestia family vanished. It didn't elaborate further nor had it detailed any parts of the ceremony. Celestia disappeared from her own family history at that point and fell away into lost legend. All Madoka could go on was the root of it all had to do with Celestia becoming a special priestess.

Even then, she didn't know what kind of priestess Celestia had been. She didn't have a clue what religion they were dealing with. Her country of origin was lost to time. Madoka didn't want to think about how much other essential information they needed could have been lost over the past three hundred years.

Madoka glanced over at the windows, glad she and Mei Mei had closed the curtains so she couldn't see the darkness surrounding them. There was nowhere she truly felt safe at the school, but her room was the best option. Listening to Mei Mei's soft, steady breathing as she slept helped Madoka calm down despite her nerves.

Madoka left the book open on her desk and shut off the light. She crawled into bed, accepting that for the moment there was nothing more she could do at night.

When she awoke several hours later, Madoka shockingly felt better rested than she had in days. Mei Mei greeted her with a grin.

"So what was keeping you up all night? You were so busy I didn't want to bother you when I got back. Homework?" she asked. Madoka felt her heart sink.

Madoka stood up. "Oh. About that-" She peered over at her desk and her breath caught in her throat.

"Madoka? What's wrong?" Mei Mei asked, confusion written across her face.

"M-Mei Mei, did you move anything on my desk?"

"No," Mei Mei frowned. "I just woke up myself. I haven't even left the room yet."

The book was gone.

Madoka suddenly felt the world spinning around her. It had to be there. Papers had covered it, that was all. Madoka had been so tired when she finished last night, she hadn't really paid attention to what she did with the book. Her mind was playing tricks on her. When she got to her desk, she would push aside her schoolwork, and it would be there, just as she'd left it. Dizzy, she tried taking a step before she blacked out.

The last thing she heard before hitting the floor and collapsing into unconsciousness was Mei Mei crying out.


	18. Lost and Alone

**Hello, it's me! This month's been hectic, hence the slightly later than usual update, but I'm going to try to come up with a better updating schedule- more on that once I figure it out. Thank you to Guest, Guest, and Guest for your reviews; the theories y'all come up with are fun to read and I apologize for leaving you guys in suspense semi-frequently. Also, in regards to _Trapped_ , at this point I do not have plans to update it. It was really only ever meant to be a standalone oneshot, but _maybe_ I'll tack on another part for next Halloween. No promises. Also, I was checking my traffic stats, and shoutout to whoever read all 17 previous chapters in a single day earlier this week. You're a champ.**

 **Anyways, on with the chapter! Chapter song is "Lost and Alone" by From Ashes to New.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Mei Mei sat anxiously in the nurse's office, waiting for an update on Madoka. It hadn't taken long for the other girl to regain consciousness after fainting in the dorm room, but Mei Mei was alarmed to the point where she had insisted she take her friend to get help. Madoka had protested, but was too weak to argue with her. As she waited, her mind jumped to terrifying conclusions over and over again. What could have possibly happened to Madoka to cause her to pass out like that? Whatever it was, Mei Mei was confident it couldn't be good.

Madoka came out of the room, still pale as a ghost. "I'm fine. Let's get back to the dorm."

"Are you sure? We should get something to eat. You could definitely use it."

"No," Madoka shook her head vehemently. "We can't. There's something more important that can't wait."

Knowing it was useless to argue, Mei Mei relented and followed her friend. Once Madoka set her mind to something it was pointless to try and change that course of action.

Madoka triple-checked that both the door and windows were locked before sitting down on her bed. Simply being at Starlight Academy made them vulnerable, but Mei Mei still thought it was a bit overkill.

"What's wrong?"

Madoka took a deep breath before responding. "Someone… Someone broke into our room last night."

Mei Mei gasped in disbelief. Everything Madoka had done up to now suddenly made perfect sense. "What? You're kidding right? Tell me this is a joke. How would someone even get in here without us noticing? They would have to have a key and there's no way we would have slept through someone walking around our room; that's just not possible!"

"I know, I know. But I'm telling the truth. The book I took from Celestia's office is gone. I left it on my desk last night before I went to sleep, I'm sure of it. Someone managed to get into our room while we were asleep and take it."

"But how?" Mei Mei asked in horror. "Someone was in here? Who? Does this mean Celestia knows you took the book? Do you think it was her? What happens next?" The questions kept coming, buzzing around the room like dozens of small black flies drawing ever closer converging upon them.

Madoka shrugged. "It has to have been her, right? I mean, I don't know who else it could have possibly been or who would have had access to our dorm. I think we can confidently say she's the only one who knows about that book. It doesn't make sense for anyone else to have been looking for it either. Plus there's something else I need to tell you. I translated part of the book last night before it was stolen."

"What did it say?" Mei Mei asked eagerly, leaning over the edge of her bed.

Madoka filled Mei Mei in on everything she had found out the previous night. Mei Mei listened attentively, both fearful and awestruck by what she was hearing. Madoka voiced each of her concerns as well, carefully laying out every bit of information she had been able to obtain. Mei Mei never would have believed what Madoka was saying if she hadn't been able to see the seriousness in Madoka's eyes. She would never have lied about something like this.

Madoka tried to play it off at the end as though she had merely jumped to the wrong conclusion, that her translation was wrong, but both girls knew that wasn't the case. What she had found was real.

"Where do we go from here?" Mei Mei whispered once the other girl had finally finished.

"I don't know," Madoka said quietly. "This answers some questions, but not enough. We still have no way to escape the school."

"What if we got other people involved? Do you think we might stand a better chance then?"

Madoka frowned, refusing to look Mei Mei in the eyes. "We might, but at the same time a bigger group might draw more attention to us. You're thinking about Chao Xin, aren't you?"

"I-Yes, I am," Mei Mei answered honestly, deciding it was best to be upfront about it and not lie to the only friend she had left.

Madoka nodded. "Don't worry, I understand. I've been thinking about Gingka, too. I can't determine whether it's better to leave him in the dark about this, or bring him in. If we do find a way out, I think we have to tell them. Even with two extra people, I think we still stand a decent chance of flying under the radar."

Mei Mei felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "Oh. Good. So for now we don't say anything to them?"

"I think that's best. Unless the need arises, we should stay quiet for the time being. I'd prefer not to scare them too much and have them do something drastic. Besides, telling them too soon makes it more likely one of us will slip up and let on that we know more than we should to our lovely headmistress," Madoka sighed. "I think the worst part is that we can't do anything for anyone else. I don't think we have any chance of beating Celestia at the moment, which means escape is our only option. If we escape, we have to leave everyone else in the school behind. That-that means a lot of people are going to die. We can't help them and ourselves at the same time."

Mei Mei couldn't think of anything to say as Madoka fell silent. The implications of what her friend was saying hit her hard. The other students didn't deserve to die. It wasn't fair to leave them behind, but what choice did they have?

It was horribly uncomfortable to think like this. Madoka was right, though. They couldn't bring everyone in without the situation imploding in upon itself. Things would only get so much worse if word got out. They had to look out for themselves and the few people they felt they could involve.

The longer Mei Mei stayed at Starlight Academy, the more selfish she felt. She and Madoka had already come to the heartbreaking conclusion that if they did manage to find a way out, they wouldn't try to find Sophie and Hikaru, regardless of whether they were dead or alive. That in itself was a painful decision. Now, they had resolved that if it came down to it, the only other people they would attempt to rescue would be Chao Xin and Gingka. Everyone else would be left to whatever fate awaited them without so much as a warning or hint that they needed to try to get out, too. Mei Mei doubted the killings would stop after they left. If they kept up in accordance with the movements of the cosmos, more and more would die. How many people would be left at the end of the year in June? There was no telling what would happen to the survivors, if any. Even then, in the wake of so many deaths, Starlight Academy couldn't be open again the following academic year.

She looked over at Madoka's desk and shuddered. Someone had the gall to break into their room in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. As far as she was concerned, the two of them were lucky to still be in one piece. Fortunately, the girls hadn't been the target this time around. Whoever had gone into their room knew exactly what they were looking for. For the time being, it seemed, they weren't interested in a confrontation just yet. For that, Mei Mei was grateful.

She wasn't sure if that made the situation better or worse. If Celestia knew about them, did that mean she was just toying with the girls until they went mad from paranoia and nerves? Maybe she was waiting for the perfect moment to strike; if that was the case, then that made things so much worse. Mei Mei couldn't think of why anyone else would have wanted the book, let alone who. Celestia had to be gunning for them. The thought terrified her beyond belief. Time was truly of the essence.

It was strange. Hikaru and Sophie may have met a bitter end, but at least they didn't have to deal with this. Mei Mei and Madoka were merely waiting for the end to come at this point, sitting on edge wrapped in fear about what would happen each day, with no telling when that end would come.

Sophie and Hikaru didn't have to worry anymore.

Mei Mei tensed, trying to expel the dark thought from her mind. Her friends didn't have to worry because they were dead. They weren't lucky. The last thing Mei Mei wanted to do was end up like them.

"Do you have any ideas on how to escape?" Mei Mei finally asked.

Madoka paused, considering. "Not really. It's pretty clear why we're so far from the rest of civilization now."

"There has to be some way out of here!" Mei Mei exclaimed, feeling desperate. Madoka's answer left her completely empty inside. "Yes, we're surrounded by woods for miles and miles, but that doesn't mean it can't be done! What are the chances we can get away and hide in the woods, at least for a little?"

"It might be possible," Madoka mused. "But it's extremely risky. We might be able to traverse the forest in intervals, by going a few miles each day. We can't rule out the idea that Celestia won't notice us missing and send someone after us, though. After that, if they catch up to us nothing we say will be able to save us. Plus, there's the issue of food, too. We'll only be able to take so much and if anything goes wrong and we get lost…"

"This could be the only chance we have," Mei Mei persisted.

"I need to think about it," Madoka relented. "Celestia may be onto us, but last night's break in made it clear she's not out to end us just yet. Provided she doesn't change her mind, we still have roughly two weeks where we should be okay, going by the stars. That's more than enough time to figure out whether or not this is doable."

"Okay," Mei Mei nodded, glad there was at least some semblance of a plan in place. "I just hope we aren't too late."

Madoka sighed. "At this rate, we may already be."

* * *

Mei Mei was a nervous, jumpy wreck for days. Almost a week had passed, yet she and Madoka were no closer to solidifying their escape plan. Sneaking into the kitchens would be essential to gather food. If someone noticed any items missing, that could tip them off that something was up, though. On the other hand, it would be impossible for them to smuggle their dinner out each night; the food wouldn't last long enough. They still had to clue the guys into their idea, too. There were so many facets to contemplate and mull over that Mei Mei couldn't fathom how Madoka was managing to stay up to date with her schoolwork at the same time. Then again, maybe she was just using it as a distraction. Mei Mei wished she could do the same.

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. Mei Mei had been more or less avoiding Chao Xin the past few days. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him. She was afraid that as soon as she was alone with him, she would blurt out the truth.

Every time he had glanced in her direction or headed toward her, she quickly made herself scarce and disappeared, veering off toward whichever escape route was closest. Each time, frustration was clearly written across his face. She felt awful, but facing the problem head on hadn't been something she was prepared for. She was only now really coming to terms with it herself.

The last few times she'd seen him, he'd worn an annoyed look when he noticed her before shaking his head and turning away. She hated that a wedge had been driven between them like this.

This time was different. Resolved, Mei Mei waited until he was alone before approaching him.

"Chao Xin," she began.

He cut her off. "Oh, now you want to talk to me? That's new."

She looked around nervously. There were far too many people in the crowded dining hall. Staff members swarmed the room. She didn't dare trust any of them. There was no telling who was in league with Celestia, if anyone. The entire faculty could be in on the conspiracy without students knowing. Celestia undoubtedly had eyes all around the castle.

She took his hand.

"Just, come with me. Please," Mei Mei asked. Chao Xin was tense, but his expression had softened. Internally, Mei Mei felt a small weight lift off her chest. He couldn't be that angry with her. Once she explained things, he would understand why she'd been so skittish. He just had to.

She led him down toward her dorm when her blood ran cold. Celestia was walking down the hall! She barely bit back a yelp. Her stomach knotted up.

Noticing her distress, Chao Xin regarded her with concern though it was mingled with some confusion. "Maybe we should go to my dorm."

"That would be best," Mei Mei agreed, breathless.

The tightness in her chest finally loosened a little once Chao Xin safely led her to his room and locked the door. It took every ounce of her strength not to burst into tears on the spot. Back in his familiar room after so long, a wave of calm was settling over her, something she hadn't felt in a while.

She hoped Madoka wouldn't be upset with her for telling him. In the end, it wasn't like they were planning on keeping him in the dark anyway. Sooner or later he would find out. Time was trickling away each day. If they were lucky, he might have an idea that could help them. It couldn't hurt. The worst that could happen- Well, the worst that could happen was that he wouldn't believe her and go tell someone. The thought terrified her to her core. What if he told the wrong person, and word got out to Celestia?

Deciding it might be best to artfully leave out some key details for the moment, Mei Mei started to tell him what she knew. Madoka couldn't get upset with her for that. She would only tell Chao Xin what he needed to know. The rest could come later. She kept Celestia out of it, only explaining the odd connection they had found between what happened to students and cosmic events. Sophie had been the one to uncover it, but realistically anyone who took the time to do the research could have figured it out; all the information was right there in front of them, easily accessible. It wasn't like the book Madoka snatched.

She could see in his eyes at first that he doubted her, but a faint flicker of fear flashed within them. As she laid out the information, she knew it added up too well for him to disregard it.

When she was finished, he only stared at her in disbelief.

"But why? I don't understand."

"Neither do we," Mei Mei responded honestly. "It's hard to say for sure _why_ any of this is taking place. The fact stands that something is definitely wrong here, and we can't stop it. Our only hope is finding a way to escape."

"Is that even possible?"

She quickly explained what little she had about the potential plan she and Madoka had come up with. Before the words even left her lips, the idea came across as weak. Saying it out loud to someone else only made it easier to see the flaws. There were far too many ways for it to go wrong.

Chao Xin seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Leaving the castle underprepared could easily catapult them into a life-threatening situation. "Have you told anyone else about this? If we tell a teacher, maybe-"

"No!" Mei Mei shrieked, quickly calming herself. The shocked expression on his face proved he had not anticipated her outburst in the slightest. She had to admit, she couldn't blame him. Had the situation been different, going to an adult would have been the best option. She needed to justify her refusal without giving too much away. "I mean, we don't really know what's going on here. Someone has to be orchestrating this whole thing, right? How can we possibly know who to trust?"

"What else can we do?"

Telling him had been a mistake. She now realized why Madoka had warned her about this. Chao Xin's intentions were pure, she understood that, except telling him everything would only put him in further danger. He wanted to do something too, now. Wasn't that what Sophie had done? She'd put the pieces together, acted rashly, and look where that got her.

Chao Xin couldn't comprehend the full seriousness of the situation, or so she thought, but then Mei Mei remembered what had almost become of him on Halloween. He had already been a target once; the last thing she wanted him to do was end up in that situation all over again. He couldn't know about Celestia, at least not yet.

"Please," she begged. "Keep quiet about this for a little while, okay? At least until we have more to go off of."

"Mei Mei-"

"Chao Xin, this is dangerous. Our lives are at stake. You should understand that better than any of us. At most we have a week before someone else is killed. There's no time to waste. What if it's one of us? I can't stand to lose someone else important to me. I've already lost two of my best friends. We need to keep this under wraps. If we talk, I'm positive we'll get hurt. We have to get out of here. There's no alternative."

She stood up on her toes to kiss him, wishing for just a moment they could be teleported away from this nightmare. She tried to focus on only him for as long as possible.

"Are you sure there's no way out of here other than foot?" Chao Xin asked once they broke apart. Mei Mei racked her brains, trying to remember what she and Madoka had said about that last week.

"Almost positive. They hired a coach bus to get us here, remember? There's no other method of transportation around."

Chao Xin frowned. "Something about that definitely doesn't add up. Sure, I guess they could have hired a separate bus for the staff. We've been here over three months. Does that mean no one has left? How has the school been getting new food in? You can't tell me it's all been here since the start of term and didn't go bad. The fruit alone would go moldy in a week. I haven't seen any conveniently located orchards around here, either."

Mei Mei couldn't believe she and Madoka hadn't come to this conclusion on their own. She felt her heart leap feebly. "Are you saying we might actually be able to take something to help us escape?"

If his hunch was right, and she prayed it was, escape from Starlight Academy would be much, much easier. If they had a vehicle, they could flee the campus in a single day compared to several. Their chances of survival would increase drastically. Not to mention, they would be able to follow the road. If they went by foot, it was too dangerous to stick close to it in the event someone was looking for them. Following a path would be the obvious route. On foot, the woods would be their best cover.

An unwelcome thought crept into her head. "You don't think it's a plane that's been delivering supplies, do you?" There would be no hope of escape if that were true. There was no way she could possibly fly a plane, no matter how small, and she found it unlikely her friends would be capable of it.

"I _guess_ it could be, but I think we would have heard it. The only place big enough to for a plane to land would be the open field where they took us stargazing, but that's not very far away. We would have heard it land and take off every time."

Mei Mei felt her shoulders relax as the lead weight that had promptly resided on them was lifted. "I don't remember seeing anything that looked like a runway or plane tracks in that field."

"Then there has to be some other kind of vehicle they've been using. It could just be a delivery truck, but even then I find it unlikely that none of the faculty members have their own method of transportation off campus."

Mei Mei could feel herself growing weary. Chao Xin brought up so many valid points she hadn't even begun to consider, but all the talk was beginning to wear on her. They could exhaust every possible option continuing this in to the early morning, but it only mattered that one was viable. The entire conversation would be wasted if none of the ideas were plausible in the end.

Her emotions had been running in overdrive with terror lurking around every corner, and it was starting to take its toll on her. She listened to Chao Xin, blinking quickly every so often in an attempt to keep herself awake.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Chao Xin asked suddenly. "You don't have to if you don't want to. It's getting late and you seem pretty worn out."

Mei Mei peered over at the clock. The offer was tempting, but she needed to get back to the dorm before it was unsafe to be out in the halls. The few minutes she had left were dwindling away. "Thanks, but I should head back to my room. I need to let Madoka in on what we just talked about. If anyone can figure this out, it's her."

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Mei Mei braced herself as Chao Xin went to open it.

Madoka was standing in the doorway.

"I thought I'd find you here," she said, relief coloring her tone.

"Madoka? What's going on?"

"I was worried when you didn't come back after dinner. Celestia's been keeping guard of the girls' dorms all day. I don't know what that means, but it can't be good. I hope we didn't miscalculate when we compared the events. I just needed to make sure you were okay," she expelled quickly. Chao Xin watched with interest. Madoka's words were carefully chosen, not giving anything away about how much they really knew. Mei Mei suspected she'd get the full story of what Celestia was up to later. Suddenly, she pulled the other girl into a hug. "Have you told him anything?" she whispered into Mei Mei's ear.

"A little. Sit down, I'll explain," she whispered back. Madoka raised a curious eyebrow.

Mei Mei reiterated what she had told Chao Xin, allowing Madoka in on exactly how much he was aware of. She knew immediately she'd made the right decision in keeping Celestia's name out of it for the most part. Madoka relaxed instantly the second she realized the headmistress wasn't involved in the conversation for the time being. They would tell him everything only when it was necessary.

After, Chao Xin broke in with his own theory about finding a set of wheels they could use to escape. Madoka's eyes lit up.

"It does seem very realistic," she said, excited. "I have no idea where they would keep a car, though. It's mostly woods around here, and students have access to the majority of the campus grounds. We'll have to look into it as soon as possible."

"There could be a second field we don't know about," Mei Mei added.

"Absolutely," Madoka nodded. "We may be surrounded by forest, but who knows what's just beyond the perimeter? There could be an entire parking lot out there somewhere."

It was past eleven by the time they finished talking. Madoka glanced at the door worriedly. It was far too late to be certain they would be safe getting back to their dorm. Still, she didn't regret sticking around to talk with Chao Xin. They had gained some valuable insight from him. Soon, they would have to draw Gingka into their tight-knit group as well. She only hoped he would be as understanding and rational as the other male was proving to be.

"Chao Xin?" Mei Mei asked timidly. "I know you offered earlier, but would it be okay if we both spent the night here? I'd rather not risk walking back."

"Sure," he nodded. "Madoka, you can take the bed you're sitting on. I can sleep on the floor."

Madoka didn't need to be told twice. Within seconds, she was curled up under the covers drifting off to sleep.

Chao Xin flicked the light off. It felt awkward, climbing into his bed while he fluffed up a pillow on the floor. Was it weird for her to be doing this? She and Chao Xin definitely had something between them, but Mei Mei wasn't sure it counted as boyfriend and girlfriend exactly. Their situation didn't allow them to comfortably be together like that. Regardless, she still enjoyed their stolen kisses and time alone. She liked him and he liked her, and for now that was enough.

Mei Mei didn't know how much time had passed when she finally decided to break her silence.

"I can sleep on the floor if you want," she offered, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Madoka. She felt bad, invading his room and then making him sleep on the stone floor while she took over his sleeping space. Even on the small rug with the downy feather-filled pillow, it couldn't be that comfortable.

"No, that's okay," he murmured sleepily in response.

"It's your bed," she insisted.

"You're the guest. Don't worry about me."

Mei Mei bit her lip. "Well…why don't we…share then? I think we can both fit." Her cheeks flamed red as she spoke. She was grateful he couldn't see her in the dark. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so embarrassed.

"Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," she answered. Hopefully, he wouldn't get the wrong idea. Letting him sleep on the floor wasn't right, and this was the only reasonable solution she could come up with. She hoped he understood that. Madoka was in the room, too. It wasn't as if anything would- or could- happen. Waking Madoka so the girls could share that bed was another alternative, but Mei Mei preferred not to disturb her friend's peaceful slumber.

After a little more persuading, Chao Xin joined her. It didn't take long for him to pass out. Gradually, her self-consciousness faded and the redness disappeared from her face altogether as she relaxed. In hindsight, her nerves suddenly felt silly. She already spent so much time overthinking everything else; she didn't need to stress herself over something like this. Honestly, it felt better than anything just being cuddled up next to him.

As sleep began to claim her, Mei Mei realized this was the closest thing she had felt to safety in weeks, being held in his arms.


	19. The Lost Way

**Hey guys, so sorry for the delay, this story kind of got away from me and suddenly it was a month since I'd last updated. I think this is kind of a sign of things to come, so unfortunately weekly/biweekly updates are going to be much less frequent. That being said, I am absolutely still committed to finishing this story, hopefully by the end of the year at the latest. Shout out to Guest and Kacchako for your reviews- sorry to keep everyone waiting! Chapter song is "The Lost Way" by Unsun.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

When Mei Mei woke up the next morning, it took several seconds for her to adjust to her unfamiliar surroundings before last night's memories came rushing back to her. She rolled over in the bed, finding more space than anticipated as she nearly slipped off the edge.

Chao Xin was gone.

However, before panic could seize her, she realized one other person was occupying the room with her: Madoka was still across from her in the other bed. She wasn't alone as she'd feared. Madoka sat up, stretching her arms.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"Morning," Mei Mei replied, looking about the room anxiously. "Have you seen Chao Xin anywhere?"

"He went down for breakfast a few minutes ago. We should do the same; I don't think the dining hall is going to be open for much longer."

It didn't take long to find Chao Xin once they made their way down. Ever popular with the females, he had a small group flocking him while he sat with his friends, disinterested. When he noticed Mei Mei and Madoka walking by with full trays, he gave a slight nod that went undetected by everyone else.

They sat at their usual table. Madoka poked her eggs with a fork. "That would drive me crazy, being surrounded by all those people all the time. I don't know how he does it. Anyway, we should try to come up with a game plan. We need to find out if there are any vehicles on campus."

"Don't you think we should wait for him?" Mei Mei asked.

Madoka shook her head. "The only way for us to get alone time with him is to be locked away in one of our dorms. We need to figure this out now. Having him with us in a public area like this will just attract too much attention, unfortunately. There's nothing we can do about that."

"Fair enough," Mei Mei agreed. It didn't matter how little attention he paid the other girls. They kept coming, unrelenting, no matter what he did to try and get them to leave him alone. "Where do you think we should start looking?"

"Whatever we're looking for is obviously well hidden, provided it exists at all, which means it's not going to be out in the open on the grounds anywhere. That being said, it still needs to be in a fairly accessible location. It wouldn't be realistic for it to be in the middle of the woods, unless there are some secret back roads we're unaware of.

"But I don't find that to be very realistic, either. When Hikaru saw the map, she noted we were completely surrounded by forest. Starlight Academy is purposely kept away from the rest of the world. It doesn't make sense to have multiple ways to get to the school if we're supposed to be so secluded, meaning the only way in and out is using the road we came in on. Having only one entryway also makes it a lot easier to monitor who's coming in and out, too."

Mei Mei's head was spinning. Taking in everything at once was difficult.

"The only thing still bugging me is the lake," Madoka continued. "It is possible that supplies are being brought in by boat."

"No way," Mei Mei interjected. "You would have to be crazy to go out on that lake. There's no end in sight. The water is so murky you can't see to the bottom from the edge of the shore."

"I suppose you're right," Mei Mei admitted reluctantly. "It would likely be a similar situation as a plane. Someone would have noticed a boat on the lake by now, no matter how misty it is. A boat isn't exactly something you can hide."

"Navigation would be a nightmare, too," Mei Mei pointed out. "It's unusually foggy, day after day. There could be rocks sticking out of the water than could sink a ship in an instant, and you'd never know. Someone would have to have a death wish to take a boat out there without a lighthouse nearby."

Madoka agreed, despite her desire not to completely rule out the possibility. "I think to start, we need to check the woods nearest to the castle. If we can't find anything there, we need to broaden the search. The most important thing is that we stick together. Once classes are over, while it's still light out, we can start the search. Let Chao Xin know as soon as possible. I'm going to try to talk to Gingka today." Madoka's expression was pained. "I haven't spoken with him much since we narrowly escaped Celestia in her office."

Mei Mei picked her breakfast tray, grimacing. It was going to be long day of classes. Skipping would draw too much attention, especially if they were caught snooping outside. Their best course of action would be to wait until it was reasonably acceptable for them to be out.

As much as she hated waiting, she knew there was no other choice.

* * *

Sophie awoke, praying it had all been a terrifying nightmare. She bit back the tears springing to the corners of her eyes. Her surroundings hadn't changed one bit.

She was still curled up on the stone slab she'd originally woken up on when she first found herself locked away from the rest of the world, shivering. The cold rock was all she had for sleeping, if it could be called that. Every time she fell asleep, nightmares plagued her.

She pulled her legs into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. No matter what, her body refused to adjust to the chilled temperature of the stone prison.

Her new roommate didn't seem to be faring much better. She still had dozens of questions to ask him, but he remained close-lipped. Ryuto was huddled off to the side of the room, glassy eyes seeing beyond her. Other than his brief introduction when she'd first arrived, the boy had barely said anything. His eyes would flicker whenever she mentioned Ryuga, but the light would fade just as quickly as it had appeared.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed in the room she was confined to. For all she knew, weeks had gone by. Maybe it had only been hours. There was absolutely no way for them to know. Every so often, food was brought in, always when they were asleep. It was never enough. The portion wasn't even sufficient for her, let alone the fact that she had to share it with Ryuto.

She felt her body growing weaker as time drudged on. She couldn't understand why they were doing this. If anything, death would have been preferable to what was going on here. For some reason, they wanted to keep her alive, but barely. She knew even if she had the opportunity, in her deteriorated state she wouldn't be to fight back.

She thought back to what Celestia had said when the headmistress had caught her in her office. Sneaking in had been an awful idea, she now realized. She wished she'd come to that conclusion sooner rather than acting so rashly the moment she made her discovery. She had no clue as to what happened to Wales.

Celestia had said something about keeping her as a "special sacrifice". What could that possibly mean?

Sophie had determined that the deaths of the students were tied to the movements of the cosmos. She also had learned Celestia was somehow involved in all of it when she looked on her computer. The sacrifice business undoubtedly had to have something do with that, though her strained mind was unable to put together the rest of the puzzle.

No matter how much she racked her brains, she couldn't figure out a motive. She was missing a major piece of information.

She wished Ryuto would talk. Sophie wasn't entirely sure how long ago the other boy had been captured, although she was fairly certain he couldn't hold out much longer. His body had to be close to its limits. His skin was papery as it stretched to cover his bones. Regardless, if he had been down here for any amount of time, then he must have some details he could give her, if he was willing to speak. There had to be a good reason he was here in the first place. Between the two of their stories, there was a chance they could come up with a more complete version.

"Ryuto," she said softly. Only silence met her.

More time passed. She could feel herself getting antsy. Or was it hungry? The gnawing never really went away.

"Ryuto," she tried again.

Still he remained silent. She groaned, not caring that he could hear. Silence between them wasn't doing any good.

"Ryuto," she pushed.

Finally, he turned to look at her, empty eyes staring beyond her. "What do you want?"

"Please, isn't there anything you can tell me? There must be something we can do," she pleaded.

"There isn't. It's over."

"What do you mean?" Sophie could feel herself growing frustrated. "You keep doing this. What are you hiding?"

"It won't do you any good to know." He turned away.

It was pointless. She was trapped in a room with a boy who wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn't blame him. She was the only new face he'd seen in a long, long time. He'd been kept in here alone for so long that it must have felt like nothing mattered. Death seemed to be the only thing to look forward to. She shivered at the thought that she might soon be in a similar state once hopelessness consumed her.

Ultimately, she wasn't surprised with the result. They'd had at least half a dozen conversations identical to the one she'd just attempted. All of them ended the same way.

Sophie began to drift off again, thinking of her friends, food, and her dorm.

Before she fully succumbed to sleep, she became aware of someone shaking her.

She blinked rapidly, trying to force her body to refocus. Her vision blurred then doubled before finally returning to normal. Dehydration was hitting hard.

Ryuto was standing over her. She looked up at him in confusion.

His golden eyes bore into hers. "If I tell you what I know, then you have to tell me everything you know about Ryuga being here."

Sophie took his arm from her shoulder. The appendage felt like it would break from the slightest bit of pressure. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Ryuga glanced away, peering in the direction of the barred window. "It doesn't matter what we do," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's too late for us. I just want to know that my brother is okay."

Sophie felt her heart nearly stop. Maybe she'd broken through to him after all. "We have a deal," she agreed. "But I can't promise you'll like everything you hear."

The corner of Ryuto's mouth twitched upward. She wondered when the last time he'd truly smiled was. "I could say the same thing to you."

"Fair. It all started when we came here for school-"

Ryuto's eyes were closed. "So they did open it up after all," he mused. "I wondered why you'd come to the castle."

"What are you talking about?" Sophie frowned. "They've been planning this for years, it's common knowledge. Everyone knew how exclusive the selection process to get in was and spent forever perfecting applications. I mean, your brother applied and got in. Weren't you around when he was filling out the forms? How long have you been down here?"

"Two years."

"Two years!?" Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. The missing pieces from his previous statement fell into place. "How are you still alive?"

"I ask myself the same question every time I wake up," Ryuto murmured. He raised his voice, "Thank you. That explains why Ryuga is here; I can guarantee he came looking for me after I didn't return. I was part of the original group contracted to search the castle when they were first considering reopening the school. I assume the other members of my group made it back successfully and that's why they went through with their plans."

"Right," Sophie commented awkwardly, still disturbed by how nonchalant her roommate could be about his situation. She sincerely hoped she wouldn't be down here for the next two years. She supposed it was easy to become numb to it after a while. "Anyway, things started going wrong immediately. Students began dying left and right. Before I was caught, I realized it was connected to astral events."

For some reason, Ryuto didn't appear perturbed by this. "Continue," he prompted.

"During October, it happened again," Sophie shifted uncomfortably. She had no idea how to break the news to Ryuto. At first, she had feared the shock would kill him, but now she wasn't so sure. Mentally, he was far stronger than she realized even if physically he was a walking corpse. "I think it was late November when I was brought here, but I can't remember. It's probably December now, for reference.

"This time, two people disappeared the same night. Since no one ever saw them after that, we kind of had to assume the worst. One of them was one of my best friends, Hikaru. The other… Ryuto, I'm sorry, but your brother vanished along with her. Ryuga's dead."

For a few moments, there was painful silence. Sophie dreaded to think she had gone to far in telling him the truth. Lying would have been much worse, though, if they managed to do the impossible and get out of their cell. She couldn't hide it from him forever. Whether or not he was going to keep up his end of the bargain, she didn't know. For the time being, Sophie decided it best not to push him. Hopefully, he would talk when he was ready, provided grief didn't completely consume him.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much else she could do in the small enclosure. Giving him space was not an option. All she could do was wait.

Sophie stood up and walked over the door. She needed to get out so much more than before.

"I'm not surprised," Ryuto said suddenly in a soft whisper. "If Ryuga came here, it wasn't for school. He would have been looking for answers. If he found them, he wouldn't have been allowed to live."

"I wish there was something we could have done for him," Sophie said wistfully. "Him, Hikaru, my friend Wales… Wales was with me when he got caught. We broke into Celestia's office. You probably don't even know who she is, do you? She's the headmistress," Sophie laughed bitterly.

Ryuto made a strangled, unidentifiable noise. Sophie stared at him in amazement.

"You went into her private office? You're lucky to be alive!"

"Hardly," Sophie scoffed. "She tossed me in here, and said I would be a 'special sacrifice', whatever that means."

It was Ryuto's turn to stare at her in amazement. "You really have no idea what's actually happening here. You broke into her office, but you don't even know what she really is."

Sophie knit her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Celestia is not who she pretends to be. She's a monster. Those killings during the astral events you referred to are what sustain her. She's some kind of immortal who gains her power by sacrificing others at certain times."

"So, by special sacrifice, she means-" Sophie choked out the words.

Ryuto nodded grimly. "It's the same with me. She's saving us for something big."

Sophie sat down, finding it difficult to stand all of a sudden. Dizziness overcame her as her vision turned blurry.

"Having fun?"

Sophie jumped to her feet as Ryuto whirled around to see the intruder. Celestia herself stood in the doorway, watching them in amusement.

Sophie barely managed to suppress a scream. She hadn't even heard the door open, let alone someone coming in. Other than their infrequent conversations, it was always dead quiet in the room. It should have been easy to hear someone coming well before they entered. The headmistress stood in front of them in all her glory, not bothering to hide who- or what- she was any longer.

"I'm so glad you two are bonding. It's been so long since dear Ryuto's had any friends to talk to. Though, it's too bad, for in a matter of weeks it will be time for the ceremony at which you two will be guests of honor," she sneered.

The door was wrenched open further. Rather than attempt a desperate escape, Sophie found herself pressing up against the back of the stone wall in terror. Two people cloaked in black appeared in the door, carrying something. They threw it into the room, the object landing with a large thud.

It took seconds for Sophie to recognize who it was. The orange hair was dirty and matted, but there was no mistaking it.

"Wales!"

"Yes," Celestia waved off the distinction. "We tried interrogating him to see what he knew. Clearly, it wasn't much. He seemed to be following _your_ orders." She examined Sophie with interest.

Sophie ran over to his unconscious body, kneeling beside it. She lifted his head onto her lap, feeling for any bumps. An untreated concussion here could easily be fatal. His breathing was weak, but steady.

"See, I already knew you would make an excellent sacrifice. Same with you, Ryuto," Celestia looked at the boy fondly. "Of course the one who freed me from my disgusting tomb would be a perfect choice. But this one? He's nothing special. If I didn't need one more for the altar, he would've have been killed on the spot. However, time is far too short to be picky."

Sophie's brain whirred. Everything was coming at her far too quickly. Trying to process what Celestia was saying only made things worse. Obviously the main event was coming, and none of them would be living through it. Wales was covered in bruises and scratches; Celestia clearly wasn't happy with him. Disdain was depicted across her face clear as day. And what on earth was she talking about with Ryuto?

"I'll leave you three be," Celestia said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Please, enjoy your last few days. Oh, and try not to die just yet. As I said before, I don't have time to find anyone else suitable. The comet fast approaches for its first return in well over a hundred years. I must be prepared to welcome it."

With that, the door slammed shut.

"Help me lift him," Sophie begged, trying to calm herself in order to think things over clearly. She grabbed Wales's arms.

Ryuto took his feet, and together they struggled to carry him over to one of the slabs. It didn't help his condition much, but Sophie hated the thought of leaving him on the floor where he had been tossed so carelessly.

Once they completed the task, Sophie collapsed against the wall again. She didn't think her heart could take the shock of another surprise appearance from Celestia.

"Do you know what she was talking about?" she heaved.

"Not really," Ryuto shook his head. "I guess whatever it is they've been keeping us here for is finally about to happen. Whatever the comet is she mentioned, it must be important."

"What was that she was saying about you?" Sophie inquired. "How did you get captured in the first place?"

Ryuto turned away. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"But-That's not fair!" Sophie protested. How could he withhold information from her now? "You promised to tell me what you knew if I did the same."

"Some things are better left unsaid."

"No!" She felt herself growing heated. "That's not true. Even if it's awful, you have to tell me. It could help us get out of here!"

"No, that's just it. It's the reason we're _in_ here." Ryuto moved toward the door. "One hundred years ago, as you know, this was a school that was eventually closed. Do you know why that school closed? Do you have any idea what happened there?"

"I-"

"Of course you don't," Ryuto didn't give her a chance to respond. "This part of the castle's history was concealed. The people interested in the school's potential likely didn't even know about it. The school was first opened by Celestia, for the same reason it was reopened now: to lure victims easily into her path. Somehow, she was stopped, and imprisoned in a catatonic state. Because she was immortal, though, it wasn't enough to kill her.

"Two years ago, in an innocent attempt to reopen and restore the decaying school, a group was sent to survey the castle. One of them stumbled upon an old family crypt hidden deep in the lower levels. One of the caskets had no death date. That same person opened the casket, only to find Celestia inside. As soon as the lid was removed, she reawakened, and set out to continue what she began. She seized control of what was happening right in front of her. Aided by her, it seems the school was able to achieve its goals of reopening, with her at the helm once more."

"That was you," Sophie breathed, feeling an iciness begin to close in around her. "You set Celestia free."

"I did," Ryuto admitted. "But one way or another, she was destined to rise again. It was only a matter of time. Unless she dies, she will always be a threat."

Sophie didn't bother responding. She knew he was right. Those who wanted to reopen the school had only done so with the best intentions. They didn't know about Celestia. Neither did Ryuto. He couldn't have known. It wasn't his fault Celestia had been released from her tomb. It wasn't his fault that any one in the school, her friends included, had died. To blame him would only send anger in the wrong direction. Provided what he had said was true, then Celestia could be stopped, if only temporarily. That gave her hope, even if it was only a teeny sliver. Ryuto seemed to think it was all over, but maybe there was a way out of this after all. It didn't seem clear whether or not the immortal could truly be defeated, though.

She wished there were some way of passing this information along to Madoka and Mei Mei. There was a chance they could do something about it, given the opportunity. At least she knew why people were dying, even if it was only part of a sinister plan to provision their demonic headmistress. Instead, her friends were searching blindly. She wondered what they had uncovered since she had been captured. Maybe they were still looking for her.

A chilling thought captivated her. Were her friends still alive? Had they become the latest casualties in a string of tragedies? It was impossible for her to know as long as she was trapped down here. Sophie shuddered. She wondered what had made her so special that Celestia thought she was a sacrifice worth saving for the big finale.

Ryuto was no longer talking to her. It seemed he had said his piece, and was done. He walked back over to his corner, sitting down and staring beyond what she could see. They'd both shared everything they could. Ryuto obviously thought their fate was sealed. Nothing would change his mind about that. She couldn't fault him for it. Chances of survival were slim to none. He'd already been down here in the darkness for two years enduring this awful nightmare, far away from the light. No doubt he blamed himself for the horrible situation as it was, despite the fact that he tried to convince himself otherwise.

She busied herself with checking on Wales. There was nothing else she could do.


	20. Through Hell

**Hello, I'm still here I've just been a little busy and writing unfortunately has not been at the forefront of my plans. On a positive note, I should have time this afternoon to keep working so there's a teeny chance I might be able to get another update up soonish. Thank you Guest for reviewing :D The chapter song this time around is "Through Hell" by We Are the Fallen.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Creative writing had seemed like a reasonable time to try and talk with Gingka, but Madoka found herself too nervous and jumpy for some reason once she sat down in her seat. Her foot tapped restlessly. She scribbled down a few notes as the teacher wrote on the board, but could barely find the strength to pay attention. Her handwriting was messier than usual, hardly legible as her hand twitched with each letter. She kept peering over at Gingka.

When class ended, she quickly packed up her books, but he was already halfway out the door, laughing at what one of his friends was saying. She slung her bag over her shoulder, knowing catching up with him now wouldn't be easy. She held one of her books tight to her chest.

Telling him the truth terrified her. Knowing ahead of time how he would react when she shattered the world around him was impossible. Even as she, Mei Mei, and Sophie slowly picked away at the cracks, solving the puzzle piece by piece, nothing could have prepared them for what they would find in the end. At least with Chao Xin, he'd previously come in contact with the true danger of the school, even if it had almost ended his life. Poor Gingka had been in the crypt with her, but that was months ago and finding the coffins now seemed innocent when the truth lay before her eyes. Before, they could brush off the uncomfortable feeling that came with their underground discovery by assuming the mystery casket, like the others, belonged to Celestia's ancestors and the missing date was just an honest mistake. Surely someone was occupying it as their final resting place. Unfortunately, reality had hit her in the face like cold water.

The coffin with no death date _did_ belong to their headmistress, and she certainly wasn't dead in the slightest. That coffin was empty.

Since the unexpected adventure, she and Gingka hadn't found much opportunity to bring it up. Whenever they had hung out afterwards, she was careful not to talk about it. Back then, they didn't know what to think; it was too frightening to consider what it could actually mean, possibilities spilling out before them. Ignoring it was easier, despite the fact that the memory always stayed at the fringes of her mind.

Madoka sighed. She'd try talking to him at lunch. That was better than chasing him down on his way to second period. First, and most importantly, she needed to get him alone. If luck was on her side, it wouldn't be too hard, but then, luck didn't seem to be on anyone's side these days.

Of course, when Mei Mei had told Chao Xin, she hadn't mentioned Celestia's involvement at all. Madoka would have to do the same with Gingka, and keep his mind off the coffins. The most pressing matter was convincing him escape was necessary. Chao Xin and Gingka needed to be protected from the real threat.

Madoka grimaced. It wasn't as though she and Mei Mei had the capability to protect the two boys if it came down to it. As long as they could get away, it wouldn't come to that. The tricky part was finding a way out.

Part of her wanted to tell Gingka about Celestia, but she knew she couldn't. If he and Chao Xin started talking now, comparing what they had been told, and they learned the girls were purposely keeping secrets, albeit for good reasons, it could cause them to lose faith in the girls. They would have to tell the two at the same time if it came down to it.

Celestia somehow had eyes all around the castle. Telling them too much could easily spell doom. As much as Madoka wanted to say something, she could only keep them in the dark. The less they knew, the safer they would be, at least for now. Telling them could only put them directly in Celestia's line of fire.

At lunch, she made her way to Gingka's table and winced. Kyoya and Hyoma had beaten her there and stolen Gingka's full attention. She knew she should've just carried her books rather than taking the extra minute to put everything away.

She paused with her lunch tray, unsure of what to do. Mei Mei wasn't at the table they shared. She had eaten with the group of boys before without issue, but that wasn't the problem. Her main goal was to get Gingka away from them. Sitting with them, she supposed, was a start. She'd pass along a message for him to meet her later, hopefully not drawing any attention from the others.

If they did notice, more than likely they would snicker and make some immature comment about Gingka having a girlfriend. She was willing to endure it if it meant she got what she wanted.

She had never felt so unsettled at a meal in her life. While the boys laughed and argued, she could barely focus on her food. The sandwich on her tray sat listlessly as she picked at it. She knew Gingka wasn't oblivious. Madoka wasn't typically this quiet. She forced a smile when she caught him looking at her. For now, that would have to be enough.

Kyoya's next question suddenly cut through the air like a knife. "Hey, has anybody seen that guy Wales lately? He's still around, right? We have a project due before the holidays, but I haven't been able to find him."

Madoka took a deep, steady breath in hopes of preventing herself from hyperventilating. Her hand tightened around her fork, gripping the plastic so tightly she could feel it cutting into her palm. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

"Now that you mention it, no," Hyoma frowned. "I hope he's okay."

"Madoka, doesn't he hang out with your friend Sophie? Does she know anything?" Gingka asked.

She wished she could disappear on the spot. The sudden, unexpected mention of her lost friend made her tear up instantly. She covered it up as best she could.

"Yeah, she does. I'll have to ask her if she knows anything when I see her later," Madoka choked out.

She knew she was blowing it. The guys had to be aware of how bizarrely she was behaving. They didn't even know. The rest of the world was too wrapped up in their own lives to pay attention to those of others. She wondered how much longer it would be before the boys realized that, like Wales, Sophie wasn't around. Weeks? Maybe even longer.

Trying to act as though her friend was still okay was asking more than she could handle. She'd officially reached her limit.

Madoka stood up. "Speaking of, I should probably head back to my dorm now. I have a few books I need to grab before classes start again." She fled the dining hall before anyone had a chance to stop her.

Madoka's pace didn't slow until she reached her wing. She wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. It hadn't really sunk in until now. Sophie, just like Hikaru, was gone. Other people hadn't even _noticed_. One of her best friends in the whole world had been ripped away from her and she couldn't even mourn her properly. She was forced to keep pretending.

Madoka made it to the safety of her bed as soon as she reached the dorm. She wasn't going to class now.

How many other students had vanished without anyone knowing what really happened to them? She didn't dare think of everyone else who had woken up one day to find their closest friends were gone. The school could cover up the deaths with silly lies, but the fact remained that students had come here in hopes of seeing if the academy would live up to its reputation.

In a twisted way, Madoka realized it had. The school had been closed when things took a turn for the worst a hundred years ago. It seemed that history was repeating itself all over again.

Her eyes widened. Of course! That explained-

A knock at her door startled her. Warily, she got up, carefully making her way over to the door. She turned the knob slowly.

"Gingka?"

"Hi, Madoka. Do you mind if I come in?"

She opened the door fully, ushering him inside. As much as she wanted to be alone, this was the situation she had been aiming for all along. She couldn't pass up the opportunity to wallow in pity. There would be time for that later. She had Gingka all to herself, with zero distractions.

"Is everything okay?" Gingka asked. "You seemed off at lunch."

"Why don't you…take a seat," Madoka suggested.

Gingka complied, perplexed. "Did I do something? You've been off lately."

"No, no it's just- There's a lot going on right now, trust me. It's not you."

"Okay," Gingka said, worried. "Because if I did something, please tell me. I don't want things to be weird between us. I really like you and-" His words cut off abruptly as he turned slightly red.

Madoka blinked, completely thrown off. "You like me?"

"I, uh, um," Gingka floundered, too flustered to come up with anything coherent.

Maybe now was not the best time to bring this up, but Madoka figured she may as well address it all the same. There was no telling if she'd get another chance. "I like you, too, Gingka," she admitted shyly. "But that's not what the problem is. Something- something bad is happening. We don't have a lot of time. I know what I'm going to say isn't going to make a lot of sense, but you have to believe me."

"Okay," Gingka took her hand, his golden brown eyes peering into her aqua blue ones.

Madoka took a deep breath. She told him about the first deaths of Lera and Selen so early in the semester and how they aligned perfectly with cosmic events. Then she shared the other casualties they had learned of and how it hadn't been a coincidence. She watched a myriad of emotions cross his face as she told him what she could, but doubt wasn't one of them. Lastly, she told him of what happened to Sophie and Wales. He squeezed her hand sympathetically, now understanding her unusual behavior at lunch.

As she spoke, tears ran freely down her face. It was the first time she had truly allowed herself to cry since Hikaru died. She didn't care that he saw. If he thought she was unstable, so be it. Nothing would bring the others back. Gingka stood up, pulling her into a hug.

She didn't know exactly how long she stayed there, but Madoka didn't want it to end any time soon.

"What do we do now?" Gingka murmured, keeping her close.

"Mei Mei, Chao Xin, and I are trying to find a way out. We think there may be a car on campus somewhere," Madoka posited.

She shared everything else she and Mei Mei had come up with. Gingka agreed that a car seemed the most likely option as to what they would find.

Gingka touched Madoka's tear-streaked face, wiping away the last one. "I'll see you soon, okay? I need to check on my friends."

Madoka nodded. "Please don't tell anyone. I don't want word to get out that we've figured out what's going on here. Whoever is behind this is watching closely, I'm sure of it."

Madoka shut the door tightly behind him. Right before Gingka had interrupted her, she'd finally realized what it was that was allowing Celestia to remain immortal. The answer had been right in front of them all along, they'd just continued to look through it over and over again as they sought explanations. It was simpler than they thought. There was no necklace or talisman behind it all.

The students dying each month during the full moon and meteor showers were sustaining her. The pieces were now coming together.

Celestia needed a ready supply of victims each month. What better way than a secluded boarding school, where nobody would be concerned about the students for months? Nobody would come investigating if they believed nothing was wrong. The parents of the dead students had never even been notified in the first place. Madoka couldn't believe she hadn't reached the conclusion sooner. It should've been obvious.

Even with the new revelation, there wasn't much she could do. It wasn't like Madoka could suddenly take away all the students from under Celestia's control and drain her of her power source.

Granted, she had _hoped_ it would be something like an amulet or necklace. Something like that, while difficult, deadly, and potentially near impossible, could be taken away if a perfect storm created the exact conditions they needed to do so. In that scenario, they at least had a chance, no matter how slim, of being able to win. Separating Celestia from a piece of jewelry almost seemed realistic. After all, Madoka had managed to steal a book from her secret office from right under her nose.

She should have known it never would have been that easy. Perhaps that was what had made her so blind to the truth right in front of her. She had refused to believe what she already knew deep down. Students dying and Celestia being immortal were not two separate, independent events as they'd believed all this time.

Madoka prayed they would be able to get out before it was too late.

* * *

Mei Mei tapped her foot anxiously throughout the entirety of her cosmology class. Madoka had failed to make an appearance. Mei Mei hoped her lack of attendance was due to her innocently skipping class, no matter how uncharacteristic of Madoka that may be, rather than something sinister. Even now, with everything going on, Madoka rarely missed a class.

If she had known ahead of time that Madoka was planning on cutting classes, Mei Mei definitely would have joined her. Instead, she listened as the teacher droned on and on about the stars.

She barely caught the tail end of the teacher's lecture as class neared its end. Apparently, they would be going out again soon for another late night star observation. Mei Mei dreaded the thought.

She tried to look at it positively. This way, she would be able to compare the night sky to the star map to see if they matched up this time, if she attended the event. Provided they did match up, she might finally have a chance to learn its secret. On the other hand, they could skip out on it and hide out in their dorm room instead of running directly into the danger. After all, somebody had died at the last outing. It was bound to happen again. Of course, depending on when it was, there was a chance she and the others wouldn't be around. By then, they could have already escaped. She smiled, entertaining the thought of freedom. Being here was too much like being a caged animal.

As she pushed her chair in, Mei Mei realized Gingka wasn't in class either. That was good, she thought optimistically. Madoka must have been busy filling him in on their plans. There was no other reason for her to have skipped out on the lecture. Now that Gingka was in on it, they were one step closer to getting out of the godforsaken castle.

Mei Mei rushed back to her dorm as quickly as she could. She unlocked it, only to find an ashen Madoka waiting alone inside, staring out the window.

"What's wrong?" Mei Mei dreaded the answer. If Gingka wasn't with Madoka, could that mean… Mei Mei had no idea how to comfort her friend if she'd just endured yet another horrific loss.

Madoka turned to face her. "It's awful," she trembled. "We are what has been keeping Celestia alive. She has to kill people to remain immortal."

Mei Mei gasped. "That can't be true!"

"It is," Madoka confirmed mournfully. "This is the only explanation that makes sense. Why else would students regularly be dying? She's immortal because we allow her to be."

Madoka wouldn't have told her this unless she was absolutely certain there was no other answer. "What do we do?" Mei Mei asked in desperation.

"Tonight after dinner, while there's still a little light, we have to go out looking for a way to escape. If there is a vehicle we can take, we need to do it now. There isn't any more time to waste." She looked like she'd been going back and forth on this decision for a while. Her mouth was locked in a painful grimace.

Mei Mei swallowed hard. It was now or never.

She dumped her books on her bed and began packing some clothes. She didn't know if she'd actually need them, but trying to decide on what she could fit in her bag and what would have to stay behind at the school helped to keep her distracted. She took a framed photo from her desk with the four girls in it. Leaving that was out of the question.

Once they left Starlight Academy, they were never, ever coming back. It wasn't like they could go to the police with the story. Who would believe them? Telling any authority figure could easily land them back in the school once Celestia got word that Mei Mei and the others were trying to cause trouble for her. Mei Mei was certain the immortal could sweet talk her way out of anything, and paint them as merely troublemakers attempting to pull a prank. She was the adult, and they were just teenagers. Besides that, Celestia probably had zero qualms about eliminating anyone who did question her actions or believed the students over her.

She wondered what Celestia would do once she realized four students had vanished from right under her nose. She didn't think Celestia would come after them, but she thought it too careless to dismiss the thought entirely. Celestia might not allow them to live if they escaped her clutches and found their way back to the real world. There was no way to know for sure.

Provided all went well, there was a chance Celestia would assume they were nothing more than necessary casualties to keep her alive.

Celestia had the book back. What would she care if they left at this point? It would just mean some nosey students were gone.

She scoffed at the thought. That was looking at things far too simplistically and with overblown optimism. Celestia would never in a million years view their escape as a good thing.

Mei Mei slipped the stolen star map into a small side pocket of her bag. The book may have been gone, but at least the thief either didn't know about or had no interest in what she had taken from the tower.

She doubted it would be needed on the run, but she'd much rather bring it than leave it behind for someone else to find. Celestia might come across it and use it as further evidence to chase after them. She didn't need to fuel that fire.

Mei Mei smiled spitefully, knowing she'd stolen it and Celestia was none the wiser about at least one thing. Taking the map reminded her she still had a little power to fight back inside her. Her mind wandered back to her best friend, wondering how much she had been able to fight before it all became too much.

Poor Sophie. Mei Mei wondered how much information Celestia had forced out of her before killing her. Had she tortured Sophie, only to kill her after she learned everything she needed, making the girl useless? Had Sophie said anything about them? She couldn't have. Sophie would never give up information if she thought it would betray her friends. Sophie was too strong. Mei Mei and Madoka were still alive, at the very least. Celestia would have had them dealt with if she perceived them to be a threat.

Misery welled up inside her. Celestia would never view them as a threat. It didn't matter whether or not she knew they were onto her. One way or another, she planned for students to die. If anything, trying to flee would only speed up their deaths in the event they were captured. They couldn't allow themselves to be caught, no matter the circumstances.

She tossed a few more items into her bag, and it was full. Mei Mei sighed.

Madoka checked the time.

"We should head down to dinner," she decided. "See if you can smuggle anything out with you; I don't know when we'll have access to food again. I'll get some bottled water. We should split up, too. I'll eat with Gingka. Try to sit next to Chao Xin if you can. I don't know how his fangirls will take it, though."

"I'll be able to handle them," Mei Mei responded confidently. "Worst case scenario, I can fill him in quick, then go sit with you, if the others don't mind."

"They won't," Madoka assured her. "C'mon, let's go."

Mei Mei left her backpack, knowing she'd have one last chance to go back to the room after dinner to grab it. After all, they needed to give the boys a few minutes to get ready as well. It would be unfair to dump on them that they had to leave almost immediately without a little warning.

Granted, they wouldn't be getting much of an advance warning, but it was the best that they could do on such short notice. Knowing the horrible truth, they had to leave while there was still an opportunity.

The dining hall seemed more crowded than usual. Mei Mei relaxed marginally when she saw the headmistress wasn't with the rest of the instructors. She headed over toward Chao Xin.

Predictably, he was surrounded by other girls, but the minute he saw Mei Mei, he stood up instantly. Surprise flitted across her face momentarily, but it vanished almost instantly. He hadn't brushed off the other girls like that before.

Of course, that was before she had shared a bed with him. Not that anything had even happened. Mei Mei's cheeks flushed red at the memory.

"Hey," she said, ignoring the other girls. "Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all," he said easily. He took her hand, leading her away from the throng of teenage girls. She felt their eyes on her, but compared to the true malice in the school, the glares felt like nothing.

They made their way to the line of students waiting to get food. Here, nobody seemed to pay them too much attention. Still, she couldn't be too careful.

Mei Mei scooped some potatoes onto her tray. "Madoka thinks we need to leave as soon as possible. She wants us to find a way out tonight," she whispered out of the side of her mouth, trying to keep her focus off him.

"What?" He whispered back, a slight panic rising in his voice. "Tonight? Why?"

"I-I don't know exactly," Mei Mei lied. "I think Madoka has something to tell us, but it isn't safe. After dinner, meet me at my dorm room. Bring whatever you can."

She piled some fruit onto the tray. It probably wouldn't keep long, but at least the oranges were portable. She could take them along without issue as long as they weren't peeled. The same applied to the bananas. They'd maybe get another day out of them. At the very least they would make for a decent breakfast tomorrow morning if they were still on the run. Her shoulders slumped. They were more than likely going to be on the run for a while. She doubted they'd be in the clear by morning, even if everything did go their way.

All the same, Mei Mei found she could barely eat when she finally sat down at the table. Everything seemed to congeal together, making it difficult to swallow. She knew this was likely to be her last significant meal for a while and she needed to make it count, but she couldn't find it in herself to enjoy it.

Chao Xin seemed to pick up on her apprehension and placed his hand on her knee. It helped, but only a little. She forced the mashed potatoes down.

She wasn't sure if Madoka had left by the time she finished, but she said a quick good-bye to Chao Xin before heading back to the dorm for the last time. He kissed her softly, then let her go, on his way to pack up his own things. He'd be at their dorm by seven.

Madoka wasn't back when she arrived. With less than an hour before their departure, Mei Mei wondered how her friend could take this so calmly. Mei Mei was pacing back and forth in the small space in the confined dorm. Finally, her unease got to her. Mei Mei grabbed a towel, and headed for the bathrooms. She didn't know when Madoka would get back, but a quick rinse couldn't hurt. Good food aside, the only other thing she would miss while on the run would be the ability to take a shower every day.

The bathroom was near empty, save a few girls who were busy touching up their makeup near the mirror. Mei Mei barely noticed them.

The water heated up fairly quickly, and she stepped into the shower, letting it wash over her.

"I'm so sick of the girl who Chao Xin keeps seeing. I swear, something needs to be done about her."

Mei Mei barely covered her gasp.


	21. The Hunted

**Good thing my car needed an oil change, cause it gave me time to work on this haha. Thank you for your review Guest; Mei Mei does have enough to worry about, but of course this can't be easy for her.** **Chapter song is Saint Asonia's newest release, "The Hunted." Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Mei Mei nervously turned up the temperature of the shower. The water was borderline too hot, but she welcomed the extra steam even as the burning water pounded her skin.

She stood on her toes, peering over the stall. She recognized the three girls as part of the collective that normally followed Chao Xin like a group of dogs chasing after a steak. Normally, she hardly paid those girls any attention, especially now. As tense as she was, it seemed they didn't even know her name. Clearly, they weren't paying that close attention to her either. She relaxed a little, ducking back out of view.

"I know, right? What does he even see in her?"

"No idea. Hey, do you see that?"

"See what?"

"There's, like, a face in the mirror."

"Yeah, yours."

"No, someone else's. My hair isn't pink. I swear, this school gets freakier everyday. Let's get out of here."

Mei Mei heard the footsteps of the girls retreating. Slowly, she turned off the water. She opened the door cautiously, looking out around her. No one else appeared to be in the bathroom with her.

Mei Mei wrapped herself in a towel and headed over to the mirrors, shuddering. It was bad enough the school was already run by a bloodthirsty immortal headmistress. Now it seemed she had made some other enemies. She wished the girls would just get the hint that Chao Xin was not into them and leave her out of it. She already had more drama in her life than she could handle.

Ironically, their hatred of her was almost preferable. She'd take that over what was really bothering her any day. Their disdain was nothing compared to the fear she felt every time she stepped out of her dorm room, waiting for Celestia to appear or someone else to whisk her off to her impending doom.

She looked in the mirror and nearly screamed as she dried her hair. Just as the other girl had said, there was a face looking back at her. And it definitely wasn't Mei Mei's.

She scrambled back into her uniform. Footsteps suddenly echoed in the bathroom. Whoever they belonged to was coming closer, cloaked by the steam. She hadn't realized someone else was in the room. She'd thought those girls were the only ones. Whoever it was had been _very_ quiet. Too quiet. Even now, their footsteps were soft, careful as though they were hoping to make as little noise as possible.

Mei Mei fought the urge to scream. She ripped open the door, and tore out of the bathroom.

It didn't matter who had been in there with her. For all she knew, it had simply been another innocent student trying to take advantage that the showers weren't crowded for once. Her imagination had to be running wild. Regardless, Mei Mei wasn't taking any chances.

She didn't stop running until she reached her room. Struggling to unlock the door, she pushed her way in as fast she could. Panting, she made it inside.

Madoka looked at her in concern. "What happened?"

Mei Mei held up a finger, trying to catch her breath. "Someone- in the bathroom- I thought I was alone."

"Oh," Madoka said in alarm, fully understanding. "The boys should be here any minute. After that, we'll be able to leave any time. You told Chao Xin, right?"

"Yeah," Mei Mei answered, trying to steady her voice.

Just then, a knock resounded on the door. Both girls jumped.

Madoka laughed nervously. "Well, we're paranoid, aren't we?" She went over to the door.

Chao Xin entered with a bag in hand. Mei Mei struggled against the urge to run into his arms.

"We're waiting on Gingka," Madoka said casually, as if they were getting ready for a picnic instead of fleeing their exclusive school. "He should be here any moment."

Mei Mei envied her skill in remaining calm in such a high stakes situation. She would have given anything not to be a trembling bundle of nerves in that moment.

Before Madoka could even close the door, Gingka slid inside.

"Hey!" Gingka smiled cheerfully. "Are we ready to go?"

Mei Mei felt like her eyes were about to pop out her skull. If Madoka was calm, Gingka was downright oblivious. How he could be so blasé about an incredibly serious, potentially life-threatening situation was beyond her. What on earth had Madoka told him that he could take it in so easily?

"Let's get going," Madoka ushered them out the room. "It's already dark. We're working in a limited time frame here."

Mei Mei glanced behind her as the dorm fell out of view. It was hard to believe they wouldn't be coming back.

She strengthened her resolve. Sure, there may have been a few good memories in the dorm, in the school, but the majority of them were undeniably bad. She could not let herself forget that. Leaving was all that mattered. She took Chao Xin's arm and clung close to him. He looked at her in concern.

She smiled reassuringly. Her world felt like it was collapsing around her, but she had to remain strong. Holding on to him was helping immensely, even if she wasn't going to admit it out loud. She had to at least pretend to be strong, enough if her stomach was churning to the point where she thought she might be sick.

They crept through the halls quietly, checking each corridor to ensure it was deserted. So far, their luck was holding. Some students were still running around, but they paid the small group little attention. Mei Mei was glad to see they weren't the only ones carrying backpacks. She felt like they were less the exception, and more the norm. No one would suspect them of anything if others were out, too.

The teachers had all but disappeared, Mei Mei remarked. She couldn't believe their luck. No one was watching them make their grand escape.

Before she knew it, they were passing through the main entryway of the castle. Madoka and Gingka closed the doors slowly behind them so no sound would be made.

Mei Mei saw several students running through the gardens. The lights above illuminated the walkway. Maybe they were taking this too seriously. It would've been better if they'd talked while inside the school, blending in even more with the rest. What if their silence and heavy demeanor had drawn more attention to them? Mei Mei half expected a teacher to burst out from behind one of the flowering bushes and drag them back to the castle right then.

Madoka took the lead. She led them past the students, into the darkness. Now that no one else was around, it was suddenly very real. They couldn't pretend to be outside having a good time like everyone else anymore. If they got caught, there'd be serious explaining to do. Madoka flicked on a flashlight she produced from the side pocket of her bag.

"Where did you get that?" Mei Mei whispered. Madoka wished the others could compose themselves better. She was a nervous wreck, too, but she didn't dare let it show. If the others thought she was losing her confidence, their mission would be lost. One of them needed to be strong.

"I found it in the office," she whispered back. "My chemistry teacher asked me to deliver some papers. I saw it and grabbed it when the secretary wasn't looking. I doubt anyone has noticed it's missing. They probably only have it in case of emergency."

"Oh," Mei Mei nodded. She looked away before Madoka could get a good look at her.

Petty theft was beyond her now. It was December; it was hardly going to be light after seven and that was if they were lucky. It didn't matter to her if her friends thought snatching something from the main office was a bad idea. This was something she needed to do. The moment Madoka had seen the flashlight she knew it was hers. Screw the consequences.

With any luck, they'd be out of there soon enough, and no one would be none the wiser.

The lights of the castle slipped away in the distance and Madoka suddenly found herself in the pitch black darkness of the woods.

Her heart sank. How could she have possibly have thought they would be able to find anything after dusk? She couldn't even see her hand two feet in front of her without the flashlight shining bright on them, yet here she was with three people pinning their last desperate hopes on her.

Madoka took a deep breath, steadying herself. Giving up was useless. She had to believe there was something waiting for them in the woods. They had to be concealing some secret.

After all, if she had thought differently, she never would have agreed to look in the first place.

Following the dim light of the flashlight, Madoka led them over toward the field where they had taken their latest "field trip" looking out at the night sky. It seemed like a good place to start. The field wasn't that far off from the only road leading to the campus grounds.

In honesty, it made her feel safer more than anything, which struck her as more than a little odd. Sophie had found a _body_ in these woods. Yet knowing it was on the opposite side as the lake made her feel almost okay as she took Gingka's hand in hers. Every single one of them was opposed to going near the water so late at night.

In her mind, it made sense for a car to be out here. It was close to the school, but at the same time secluded enough that most people wouldn't come out here unless they had a very good reason to, like that foolish field trip. No one would have come here of their own accord. If there was anything- and Madoka could practically guarantee that if something was hiding in these woods she was so fully convinced- it had been moved prior to everyone coming out to look at the stars on that cold November night. It would be easy to hide a car somewhere on the edges of these woods. If she was correct in what she had deduced, there may even be another road nearby hidden within the trees that linked up to the main one. Chances were slim, but she was willing to take them.

"Guys," she called, seeing her breath appear in front of her in the chilly air. "I think we should split up. Don't go too far, but this way we can cover more ground." She squeezed Gingka's hand tightly.

"Okay," Chao Xin agreed. Madoka could see him pulling Mei Mei closer to him. Madoka was so grateful Mei Mei had managed to find someone like him. Initially, she had written him off as just another playboy, but it was so encouraging to see that someone like him could genuinely have feelings about her best friend and care about her so deeply. Madoka trusted him as much as she would anyone else in the situation.

Gripping the flashlight, she and Gingka started to go off in their own direction. She watched as the other two clicked on the flashlights of their phones. Between the two of them, it created about as much light as she and Gingka had with the actual flashlight. She relaxed slightly knowing she wouldn't be completely abandoning the other two.

The crunch of fallen leaves made her wince with every step she took. Each footstep sounded unnaturally loud, with the potential to draw attention to them at any given moment. Madoka knew she was being silly; there was no way anyone else would be able to hear them unless they were nearby. The likelihood of that was incredibly small. Even Celestia wouldn't be out there with them. There was no reason for her to be when most of the students still in the castle. Ultimately, the people in the castle were much more threatening than whatever creatures may be lurking out in the black night with them. In reality, she was safer than she'd been in weeks out in the inky darkness. Too bad if they failed to escape they couldn't hide out in the woods; it would almost be preferable to going back inside the school. Madoka forcibly shoved the negative thought from her mind and willed herself to focus.

Madoka clenched her open fist, then pushed aside a few branches, leaving the open field behind her. There was only one way to find out if they had any alternative methods of escape, and that was by facing it head on.

She and Gingka crept through the forest with only the dim light to guide them. He bumped into her several times, but she found she didn't mind in the slightest. Knowing he was right next to her helped alleviate her fears.

Madoka wasn't entirely sure where she was going. On the outside, she portrayed a confident façade, but inside she felt completely lost and out of place. Gingka followed her without question, leaving her feeling moderately guilty about leading him blindly in the dark.

If her hunch was correct, there was likely some side road close by that led into the main one used to get on and off campus. Once they found that main road, they would have to find the means to use it. Madoka wondered if she should've tried to search the main office further. If a car key had been in one of the desk drawers, they wouldn't be wandering aimlessly with no guarantee of finding anything.

She stumbled over a shrub, swearing.

The situation was unbearably overwhelming. What would she do if she had been wrong? Everyone was trusting her on this. Sure, she and Mei Mei had talked about the potential of escaping by foot, but that was easier said than done. They were miles upon miles from the nearest town. Walking that far was hardly realistic, though it might end up being their only option. All of them were counting on getting away through a much better method.

She tried pushing the negative thoughts out of her head once more. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on things she couldn't control. If they didn't find anything today, they could check again tomorrow. Being thorough was preferable even if nothing was there. At least they wouldn't stress that they hadn't looked hard enough. Madoka would lie awake in bed for hours if she feared there was something they'd missed.

Madoka shined the light ahead of her, then immediately moved the light to the ground.

"Did you see that?" Her hand made its way to Gingka's.

"See what?"

"I think some sort of animal is in front of us," she whispered. The vague dark shape vanished, quiet as night, and Madoka was left to wonder if she'd seen anything at all. The night was playing tricks on her.

Gingka pulled her close to him. "Don't worry. It's probably more afraid of us than we are of it. Let's go this way instead," he said quietly, tugging her arm to the left. She glanced back nervously as they moved away.

Her stomach was a mess of nerves. Part of her wanted to break down crying on the spot, the other part was more than willing to run back screaming all the way to the castle. Anywhere but here would suffice.

Before she could come to a solid conclusion on her next move, a whistle cut through the night air. She and Gingka exchanged a look. That was the signal. Mei Mei and Chao Xin must've found something. She tried not to come across as too hopeful.

A noise resonated close to them, some kind of scratching sound. Whatever it was, it definitely hadn't been her or Gingka. Madoka shrieked, and tore out of the woods towards the field. She didn't know what was sharing the forest with them, but she wasn't willing to stick around to find out. She barely heard Gingka calling after her, his footsteps reverberating around them.

She tripped over a rock, rolling across the ground into the dewy grass. The flashlight slipped from her hands and went out, plunging them into darkness. Gasping for air, she felt Gingka pulling her to her feet.

After a few minutes of rustling through the grass, Gingka flicked the light back on, smiling triumphantly. The same whistling noise resounded again.

"That came from over here." Gingka was half dragging her towards it. Madoka forced her strength to return, at least enough for her to regain full control of her body. She couldn't let Chao Xin and Mei Mei see her in such a state. It would be humiliating for Gingka to have to do all the work for her. He might as well carry her at the rate she was going.

They raced across the field where the other two were waiting for them. As soon as the light hit her, Madoka could see Mei Mei jumping up and down excitedly.

"What did you find?" Madoka ran up to her, leaving Gingka behind.

Mei Mei's eyes lit up. "We're not sure, but it might be able to get us out. C'mon!"

With the combined light from the phones and the flashlight, Madoka felt significantly more comfortable venturing back into the woods. Gingka was holding her hand again and she had her best friend next to her on her other side this time.

Chao Xin led the way, expertly pushing the brush out of the way and holding branches aside for them. When they stopped, Madoka could barely breathe. If what they had said was true, their getaway vehicle was right in front of her.

Her eyes took a few moments to adjust. At first, she could barely see it. The object was so obscured by vines and other plant life she didn't think she would have noticed it on her own, even though most of the greenery had died off with the onset of impending winter. Moss covered the sides of it, perfectly concealing its shape. It was a wonder Chao Xin and Mei Mei had found it in the first place.

As soon as she picked up on the bright color, she couldn't unsee it. It was beaming right back at her against the bright illumination of the flashlight.

"It's a bus," Mei Mei exhaled excitedly.

"A bus?" Gingka frowned. "That is definitely not what we took to get here."

"No, it's not," Madoka's eyes widened, realizing what it was. "Don't you remember from creative writing? This place was briefly used as a summer camp in the eighties. No one was allowed in the castle, but they used the grounds next to it. This bus is probably from that era. There's definitely enough growth around here for that to make sense."

"Let's go already!" Mei Mei tried forcing the doors open. They creaked horribly in protest. "We can get out of here!"

Madoka noticed Gingka lingering behind. Something was definitely off with him. When Chao Xin and Mei Mei had signaled them, he'd been jumping around as much as Mei Mei.

"Is everything okay?" Madoka asked.

Gingka took a step back. Madoka looked at him in confusion.

"I can't go with you, Madoka."

"I-What do you mean?"

"I can't leave my friends. I know it's a death sentence, but Kyoya and the others… I can't leave them behind. It feels like I'm betraying them."

"But," Madoka's throat was aching. "You can't stay. You'll die. Everyone will. We have to get out of here while we have the chance."

Gingka shook his head. "I can't leave. Not without the others."

Madoka felt both admiration and despair at his declaration. His refusal to leave his friends proved his loyalty beyond a shadow of a doubt, but letting him go back to the castle was like signing his death certificate. She wondered why he'd agreed to come along, joining their search effort in the first place.

She couldn't bear it. There was no time to tell the others, though. It was now or never.

"You'd really stay back for them?" she said softly.

He nodded. "I'd go with you if I could. The others need me here. I don't want to put them through the same thing as when Ryuga disappeared, even if I'm alive. If they aren't coming, I'm not either."

Madoka took both his hands in hers. It never occurred to her this might be the last time she would see him. Going back only meant certain death. Gingka would be lost to her the moment he walked away back into the forest where the trees would swallow him up out of sight. She would never see him again. Her heart hurt; the moment had to count, but she didn't know what she could possibly say to him. Nothing would make him stay. She was going to get away, just like she wanted, but it was all wrong. Gingka should be going with them.

Madoka stood on her toes. She kissed Gingka on the cheek. "Be safe."

She was trying to come up with something else to say when the two of them were abruptly interrupted. Chao Xin, who had since made his way onto the bus after Mei Mei wrenched the doors open, popped his head out. Mei Mei stepped off the bus, standing in line with Madoka and Gingka, eyes rapt with attention as she waited for what Chao Xin was about to say.

"No one is going anywhere," he informed them. "First of all, I can't find the keys. We've checked all the seats- under them, too. They're just not here. We don't have the means to jump it either. Second, there's no way the gas is still in usable condition, assuming there is any. Unless you can somehow get gasout here in the middle of nowhere, we aren't going anywhere. This bus is stuck."

"What?" Mei Mei said in agitation. "You mean it's here in front of us and we can't even use it?" The other girl looked like she was about to burst into tears. Madoka couldn't blame her. Her eyes were feeling watery too, although for different reasons.

Chao Xin jumped off the bus and hugged Mei Mei. "I'm sorry. Even with some work, there's nothing we can do about this. If we somehow got lucky and managed to rewire everything to jumpstart it without the keys, it wouldn't do us any good. It's a dead end."

"But that's not fair!" Mei Mei cried out in despair. "Sophie and Hikaru are dead and we're next! There's a bus, but it's useless to us? That's not fair! What did we do to deserve this?"

Madoka grabbed Gingka's arm as Mei Mei broke down sobbing. Watching her friend fall apart was heartbreaking.

"We should head back," Madoka decided wearily. "There's nothing else for us. We need to get to the castle before it's too late and becomes even more dangerous. It's nearly ten as it is."

"No," Mei Mei said stubbornly. "You can't make me go back to that place. I won't do it."

"Mei Mei," Chao Xin sighed.

She sprang away from him. "No! I'm not going back there! I'd rather stay out in these woods than go back! I'd rather sleep next to the _lake_! I'm not going back where they're just waiting for the opportunity to take me out. I'm too scared to go to the bathrooms now because I don't know who's going to be looking back at me when I look in the mirror. I refuse to die in that building!"

"Stop shouting," Chao Xin soothed. "None of us are going to die. Not tonight. You can stay with me if you want. I won't let you out of my sight. I'll even sneak into the girls' bathroom with you if I have to."

Mei Mei giggled slightly, then bit her lip. "I'm so scared," she trembled.

Madoka touched her hand. "We have to go back," she said quietly. "There's nothing else we can do tonight. There's no meteor shower, so at least we're safe for the moment. We still have a little time. Let's regroup and make the most of what we have left starting tomorrow."

Defeated, the tight-knit group made their way back to Starlight Academy with the assistance of the pale light of the moon.


	22. A Blizzard is Storming

**Apologies it took so long to update! I haven't been writing much lately, but I promise I'm still here :) Thank you Guest and Guest for the reviews! I am definitely still working on this story, and I will absolutely finish (I started this in 2012, I _have_ to finish it lol). It's just going to be slow progress, but hopefully we'll get there! Ideally within this year; there's only about 10 more chapters to go, believe it or not. Chapter song this time is "A Blizzard is Storming" by Sirenia. Please let me know if you're still reading!**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

It took every ounce of strength she had to get out of bed the next day.

Madoka stared at the ceiling, lost and confused. She had been the one to lead the others on a wild goose chase. She had been the one to give them false hope. The only difference was now she wasn't the only one paying for it.

Finding the bus in the woods had been a huge blow. They had been so close to fleeing the campus, only to have that dream snatched away in an instant. Their mistake was letting their hopes get so high the moment they first encountered the bus. They should have known it wouldn't have been that easy. The bus was covered in decades of overgrowth from the forest. Getting it out would have been a miracle.

She clutched the covers tightly in her hand, squeezing her eyes shut, wishing it had all been a dream.

When she opened her eyes, nothing had changed. She was still trapped in her worst nightmare.

Mei Mei had practically been inconsolable last night. Chao Xin had taken her to his room in hopes of calming her down. Madoka had been left alone with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company. Misery overtook her the second Gingka left to go to his own room and she had to face facts. He'd offered to spend the night, but Madoka had pushed him to go back to his room. She needed to be alone so that she could think. Sleep had not come easily to her in the slightest.

She didn't have a clue as to their next plan of attack. Before, she had been fully confident that if last night had been a bust, they could go out again tonight and search the grounds once more. Now, she didn't dare suggest taking another trip out there. If the others still had the heart to do it, then they would have to be the ones to bring it up. She certainly wasn't going to. Finding the bus had been hard enough. She didn't think anyone, herself included, could handle it if they located another dead end out there in the woods. It was too awful to consider.

She felt so agonizingly responsible for what had happened and it was killing her.

She also had to take into account what Gingka had told her when they still believed there was a chance of escape. He would never leave his friends behind.

She couldn't blame him. At the same time, she didn't know if it was possible to safely include others in their secret desires. That was another reason she'd needed the room to herself last night. To ponder whether or not it was even realistic to consider that proposition. Madoka knew that if she wanted to bring Gingka along, his friends would have to be involved. There was no other way to get him to agree to anything otherwise.

Still, the more people who knew the truth, the more danger they were in. Even if Celestia's name was kept out of it, sooner or later someone would mention Mei Mei or Madoka, and then it would be all over. Considering two people from their friend group had already gone missing under highly suspect circumstances, Madoka wouldn't have been surprised if Celestia was keeping a close eye on them already.

Celestia would stomp out any opposition the moment news of it reached her. She didn't waste time when Sophie was found in her office. Even Wales hadn't been spared, and from what she understood, he'd only been guarding the door. Sophie hadn't told him a thing.

She didn't know Gingka's friends as well as he did. Trusting them, at least for now, was out of the question.

Now was not exactly the time to go about making new friends, either. If they found another way out, and the situation was going in their favor, _maybe_ they would have the opportunity to grab Gingka's friends and rescue them, too. Regardless, she wasn't counting on that outcome.

Leaving Gingka behind, if it came down to it, would be awful. Not being able to leave at all, though, would be worse. Only death would await them.

Maybe she should include Gingka's friends. Perhaps if they had more eyes-

Madoka sighed. She was fretting over nothing. They'd spent hours searching in the dark, only to come up with zero results. There weren't any other cars on campus. The bus was decades old. It was looking more and more plausible that the teachers had taken their own coach bus to the campus. Any source of transportation would have to come from far away. With the complete lack of cell reception, that wasn't going to be a viable option anytime soon.

Even if they had determined someone was definitely bringing in food from the outside, it wasn't as though they could hitch a ride back on the truck or whatever it was. First, they would have to find out when the food arrived. Madoka suspected it was sometime early in the morning before anyone was awake, but there was no way for her to figure out whether it was a daily or weekly delivery without first finding out when it arrived. Then, even if they figured out all the logistics, fitting several people, despite whether or not Gingka and his friends were with them, into the vehicle without being noticed would be an absolute nightmare. Besides, she doubted they even had the time to figure out the details of all the deliveries anyway, especially if they were operating on a weekly basis. There was no telling.

Madoka pulled the covers over her eyes. She was exhausted, but sleep refused to take her any longer.

After tossing for another half hour, she groaned and dragged herself out of bed.

Facing her friends scared her. She had no idea how they would react after last night's failure. She wouldn't have been surprised if they blamed her. If they did, she couldn't blame them.

The only way to get the bus running for sure was to get gas for it. Of course, the only way to get gas was to find another vehicle, one from this decade that was, and siphon it out. That was more trouble than it was worth and they didn't have the necessary materials. At that point, it would be better just to take the other car. Maybe one of them could figure out how to jump it.

By now, she was fairly certain everyone else was down at breakfast. Madoka got dressed and headed that way.

Instinctively, she pressed up against the wall when she heard footsteps echoing from the opposite direction. The hallway was empty. Madoka squeezed into a small alcove, praying she wouldn't be noticed.

Celestia was with a hooded figure several inches taller than her decked out in all black. Madoka squinted, trying to make out a face. She was amazed Celestia was conducting business like this in broad daylight, but then, everyone was supposed to be in the dining hall.

"The solstice fast approaches," Celestia said in a hushed tone. "I am satisfied with two of the three special sacrifices. The third one will have to do, unless you can find someone else satisfactory."

"We shall do our best, goddess," the hooded figure responded in a gravelly voice.

"Good. Once the comet arrives, it will be too late. We must have everything prepared when the day is here. After that, Starlight Academy will no longer be of use to us and we must find a new base of operations. By the time anyone realizes what has transpired here, it will be too late for them to do anything about it. We shall be long gone."

The two turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Madoka longed to follow them, but knew it was too risky. She'd already heard plenty. Telling the others was most important. If something were to happen to her before she reached them, they would still be working blind. She didn't dare let that happen. She'd already let her friends down once, and she'd be damned if she did it a second time.

From the moment she translated the book and the connection was found between the deaths and stars, Madoka had known their time was limited. At the same time, she didn't know how short the time frame was. They could have had a month left or whatever Celestia's plot was could have taken until May when the school year was set to end to reach its completion. There had been no way to be sure.

Now, the deadline was staring right at her. The winter solstice was already upon them.

Less than two weeks separated them from what was to come. Her eyes widened in absolute horror as sinking terror chilled in her veins. They had to get out _now_.

* * *

Mei Mei stared at the yogurt parfait she had selected for breakfast. She couldn't bring herself to eat it.

Chao Xin took her hand, gazing at her in concern.

Looking back into his eyes, Mei Mei wanted to believe everything would be okay. She couldn't delude herself though.

Last night had been the worst in a while, and that was saying something. She hadn't felt that terrible since Sophie had gone missing a few weeks back. Having their hopes dashed so quickly was a heartbreakingly crushing blow. Outside, it was now snowing heavily. If it kept up, there was no chance of being able to go out again tonight.

Mei Mei wasn't so sure she wanted to go searching again anyway, but having the weather be the determining factor in what they did or didn't do wasn't very encouraging. It only further served to prove they had no control over what was happening to them.

She picked up her spoon. No matter how much it hurt, dwelling on things she couldn't change was not going to help.

"Do you think we'll be able to get away?" She asked, daring to speak the words that had been haunting her since they returned to the castle late last night.

Chao Xin stiffened, choosing his words carefully before relaxing. There was no doubt the same thought had kept him up all night, too.

"I don't think it's going to be easy," he said slowly. "But I do still think we have a chance. We can't give up when it gets hard. Last night was a reality check. Getting out is not going to be easy. We let our guard down and didn't consider the possibility of the situation not going our way."

"Do you think Madoka is wrong?"

"No, I don't," he decided, optimism coloring his voice. "I think the conclusion she came to is definitely solid. The grounds are much bigger than we realized; we need to compensate for that and look harder next time."

"Yeah." Mei Mei glanced back out the window at the snow piling up. "I guess that's all we can do."

Her appetite had started to return, knowing someone else still felt like they had a chance.

Madoka had yet to make an appearance this morning, but Mei Mei wasn't all that surprised. If she'd had her way, Mei Mei would definitely still be in bed. Chao Xin had other plans, though, and he'd literally pulled her off the bed onto the floor. That had been a rude awakening.

She was grateful for it, but she wouldn't tell him that. The last thing she wanted was to give him a reason to do it again. A small smile crossed her face at the thought.

Gingka was a few tables over from them. Mei Mei had to wonder what he would do if they did find a way out. To her, staying behind was unthinkable. From his declaration last night, it seemed he was more than willing to remain back if it meant he would be with his friends.

Kyoya, Hyoma, and Masamune were oblivious, laughing at something Masamune had just done. Only Gingka held back a little, his laughter coming across as forced. He caught her looking at him and shrugged. Exhaustion was etched out on his features. Mei Mei realized she probably looked the same.

The lights flickered suddenly. Mei Mei glanced up at them nervously.

"Great," Chao Xin murmured. "The last thing we need is to lose power in this old place."

Mei Mei stayed silent. If the school plunged into darkness, losing power would be the least of her worries. She was much more concerned about what she wouldn't be able to see lurking around than not being able to use the shower.

Outside, the wind began howling ominously. Snow swirled around the window wildly, making it impossible to see beyond a few feet as the bright white specks obscured her vision. Several inches had already piled up on the ground.

Getting out tonight was no longer an option.

* * *

It took moments for Madoka to realize she was no longer alone in the corridor. The deserted girls' wing had seemed completely normal at first. Everyone should be at breakfast, then going to class. For her to be alone at this hour wasn't out of the ordinary. In fact, it was to be expected.

Still, when she first heard the footsteps, she didn't pay them much attention. Chances were another student was merely running late or had decided to take some extra time get ready. When they persisted, she turned around, just to be certain, and saw that nobody was there. That was when anxiety set in.

Adrenaline shot through her as panic raced in her body. Another student wouldn't have hidden. Whoever it was did not want to be seen.

Was it the goon Celestia had been with? Did they see her when she'd overheard their conversation? Admittedly, her hiding spot had not been very good. She should've just kept walking past them. That was far less suspicious than squeezing out of sight the way she had. But then, Celestia and her companion certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone to see them. Why else would they have been in an empty hallway? It was probably a lose-lose situation regardless of what she did.

Eavesdropping on that conversation had proven to be one hundred percent necessary, though. The more knowledge they had, the better. This had come directly from the source, too. Undoubtedly, it had been worth the risk. Now she just had to make sure she lived through that risk.

With her nerves shaking, she found it difficult to fully focus on getting to the dining hall. The dining hall was no longer her destination anyway. Madoka's only goal now was to shake the person stalking her. She didn't care where she had to go to do it.

She reached the end of the hall. Going right down the adjoining walkway was the only option, but it was pitch-black. There weren't any lights to be seen, electric or lantern or even candlelight. She knew most of the ancient castle had been rewired to support modern appliances, but in areas that weren't being used she supposed they hadn't gotten around to it yet. It had probably cost a small fortune to get the castle outfitted with features from this century. With hardly any light seeping through the windows, she wasn't sure if she could justify going down the corridor alone.

A set of stairs to the left caught her attention. At the very least, they were dimly lit by some light source enough to see. Combined with her phone's flashlight, she could make it work. By the time she reached the second floor of the castle, she no longer had any idea as to where she was.

Going back the way she had come was no longer an option, assuming it had ever been before. She could only go forward.

Madoka was fairly certain she was not in a restricted area of the castle, but at the same time she knew it was a section she had never been to before.

As she peeked down the hall, she noticed a few teachers walking around.

Madoka nearly jumped back onto the stairs. She barely caught herself before stumbling backwards and falling.

A wave of nausea hit her as she looked down. If she'd fallen, it certainly wouldn't have ended well.

She'd reached the floor with the teachers' quarters. There was no way she could let herself be seen wandering around up there. She didn't have a good explanation; who would believe she was being followed? Besides, she wasn't confident about whether or not any of them were on Celestia's side. She could be walking right into a trap. But, she couldn't stay frozen where she was either.

The stairs continued upward. Madoka decided she had to take the risk. In her heart, she felt she was still being followed. The wilder her route became, the better chance she would have of shaking the person and getting away. Of course, that might make it more difficult for her to get back, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

The stairs seemed to stretch up forever. When she finally reached the top, Madoka bumped her head on the ceiling. It… shifted slightly.

She took a few steps down and looked up. A faint square outline was visible in the low light, the grain of the wood going against that which surrounded it.

That hadn't been a ceiling- it was a trapdoor!

Anxiously, Madoka pushed it open with her hands. A gust of cold air came to meet her.

As Madoka struggled to lift herself through the small opening, she realized she was no longer inside the castle.

She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering, and stood up. The wind whipped at her face. Her teeth chattered.

Somehow, she was now on top of the castle, standing on one of the parapets. Ice wrapped her heart. She'd truly reached a dead end. There was nowhere else to go.

She could hardly see in front of her. Madoka freed one of her hands to hold it directly above her eyes in an attempt to shield herself from the elements as best as possible. She walked closer to the edge of the parapet. The snow made it difficult to see, but not impossible. From where she stood, she had an almost perfect view of the immediate school grounds.

She gazed out, walking in a circle as she took in the surrounding areas. She noted the woods they gone into last night, trying to find the bus through the trees. Maybe she'd see something else that could help them.

With the sudden shock of finding herself exposed to the cold in only her uniform, Madoka had all but forgotten she was being followed.

Something else had stolen her attention.

In the distance, she could faintly make out two figures headed in the direction of the lake. They paused.

Madoka peered down at them. From where she stood, it was impossible to determine who they were. Students? Highly unlikely. It was far more realistic for those shapes to belong to Celestia and the hooded figure she had been with earlier. Madoka couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation for them to be out in this weather, unless they really didn't want to be seen. For all she knew, Celestia's office may not have been a safe place to discuss whatever they were plotting. Still, there were highly restricted areas of the castle that probably would've sufficed. She wished she could hear them but even without the screaming wind it would've been impossible from such a distance..

Madoka leaned over the edge as far as she dared. If only she could get a little closer, or had been on one of the other, closer parapets. She was too far away to hope for a clear picture or a chance of recognizing either character.

The people started moving again toward the lake. Soon they were at the very limits of her sight, further blurred by the swirling snow.

She wracked her brain, yet couldn't come up with any reason for what she was seeing. Why would anyone risk their lives to go to the lake now?

Two hands wrapped around her face and mouth. Madoka's eyes widened in terror. Her instinct was to cry out, but their grip was too tight.

They pulled her back, away from the precipice. She struggled against them, flailing her arms, breathing deep through her nose.

With a concerted effort, Madoka brought her elbow back, and jammed it into the face of her captor. The motion was enough to elicit a grunt from whoever it was holding her, forcing them to let go.

Madoka dashed away then whirled around to see who had attacked her.

They looked identical to the person she had seen with Celestia, but something told her the hooded creeps were two different people. She wondered how many of them Celestia had working for her. Looking them dead on, she could now see what was hidden beneath the hood. A black mask covered the top half of their face, leaving only the mouth, twitched upward in a twisted smile, visible. Her heart caught in her throat.

Barely giving her time to react, they lunged forward. Madoka shrieked and jumped to the left, narrowly avoiding being grabbed. She stumbled to the ground and rushed back up to her feet almost instantly, ignoring the throbbing pain in her knee. The cold snow covered her bare legs now, but she barely felt it.

The figure circled the parapet, toying with her like an animal on the verge of killing its prey.

She moved in time with their movements, trying to stay as far away as possible. Walking in a circle so high up was dizzying. Every so often, they would lunge, or at least make the motion to do so. Madoka didn't know how much longer she could hold on. Coming up here had been a major mistake.

Each time she tried to break for the trapdoor, her enemy beat her to it, standing beside it, taunting her. She didn't have a death wish; she knew she wouldn't be able to face them head on. They were too big for her to take on in a physical challenge. This was a battle of wills. In a battle of brains vs. brawn, Madoka was certain she would have the upper hand, but the odds definitely weren't in her favor. Madoka knew if she made it to the exit while they were standing there, it would mean her demise. She needed to distract them somehow, and then make a run for it. Once inside the castle walls, she would stand much more of a fighting chance.

Madoka feinted to the left, then dashed for the door.

Her tactic only worked momentarily. Almost instantly, the figure realized the deception and threw themselves back faster than she would have thought could be achieved by someone of their stature to block the only escape.

Stepping backwards, Madoka felt herself come up against the edge of the stone barrier that prevented her from falling to her death. She felt dangerously close to hyperventilating. Her vision blurred on the edges, but she wasn't sure if that was from shock of adrenaline or the snow.

Her hand brushed against the top of the structure, causing some of the old stone to crumble beneath the pressure and spiral down to the ground below. Madoka's eyes widened knowing it could have just as easily been her and not disintegrating pieces of the building.

The hooded figure wasn't playing games any longer. They came at her at a leisurely pace, bearing down upon her.

Madoka shut her eyes. Were they going to kill her now? Was she about to become one of the sacrifices, or did Celestia have to be the one who killed her? Would she be brought directly to Celestia?

A plethora of questions zoomed through her mind at an ungodly speed. She still had so many questions. Dying without finding the answers to any of them or being able to warn her friends seemed unfair.

Her eyes flew open. Her friends!

Madoka couldn't die here. She refused to let it happen.

As her attacker drew closer, picking up speed as they committed to their intended final blow, Madoka sidestepped as she had done before. This time, however, she had a plan.

When she stepped, she repositioned the figure between her and the wall, reaching her hands out to touch their back. She pushed as hard as she could, using every ounce of her strength to set their momentum against them. Her assailant toppled over the edge. A bloodcurdling scream cut through the icy morning air like a knife.

She forced herself to look down, to be certain that they hadn't grabbed on to a loose stone or found some other hold to catch themselves.

She saw nothing.

The snow swirled violently, hiding what could only be a ghastly scene below. She shuddered, once more holding tight to the ancient raised stone that ran the perimeter of the parapet.

Madoka could have crumpled on the spot. Instead, she made a beeline for the trapdoor, not looking back. Inside, she slammed it shut and ran back down the stairs.

She was safe for now, but Madoka had to wonder how much that move had just cost her.


	23. Pit of Consciousness

**You would think by now I would've learned to stop staying up late writing horror stories when I know it freaks me out, but apparently not haha. Thank you FireDragon1619 for your review :D Also I sincerely want to thank everyone who's been reading this story as of late. Story stats show there's been a bit of a surge for every chapter this month (probably due to the quarantine, but lots of love to all of you anyway) and there's definitely a few people who have read the entire thing through so far since the beginning of April and I want to acknowledge that. At this point, I'm writing this story for me as well as you, and I'm so grateful to see people are still invested in it, though updates may be slow. That being said, this time around our chapter song is "Pit of Consciousness" by Jinjer.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

Madoka hurried through the corridors, taking advantage of the burst of speed the rush of adrenaline had gifted her. She could barely process what she'd just done. It all felt like a blur, as if it was merely an event she'd witnessed, not experienced firsthand, like a scene from a movie. The memory didn't feel like it belonged to her. Her legs carried her where she needed to go, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

She made it to the dining hall as students were filing out of it. Breakfast was over and classes were due to start any moment.

Ignoring her growling stomach, though she hardly noticed it anyway, she stood on her toes frantically trying to spot Mei Mei over the throng of people. Madoka hopped into the middle of the crowd, mixing in seamlessly.

"Mei Mei!"

Her friend had to be around here somewhere. Chao Xin would not have allowed Mei Mei to skip out on breakfast after last night. Somewhere in the back of her fevered mind, Madoka was thankful for that. She jumped up and down trying to get a better view.

She finally located her towards the front of the group, almost out of sight as they turned the corner. She called again, raising her voice, but her friend still didn't notice. She was too far away in a much too loud hallway.

Not caring who she irritated, Madoka pushed her way through the crowd, eliciting more than a few dirty looks and swears. She rolled her eyes, knowing a few pissy classmates were the absolute least of her problems.

Finally, she reached her. Mei Mei was by herself. Chao Xin must have already gone his own way. It made her nervous, but it wasn't like Mei Mei could have someone with her full-time. Madoka was so glad to see she was still safe.

Madoka tapped her on the shoulder.

Mei Mei spun around, stopping in the middle of the hall, much to the chagrin of the students behind her, who now had to step around them to avoid collision.

"Madoka? Where were you? Hey- is that _snow_ in your hair?"

Madoka took her by the arm and started dragging her along with the flow of students, despite Mei Mei's weak protests.

"I can explain everything. C'mon, let's just try to blend in with everyone until we get to the dorms."

"The dorms? Madoka, why would we go there? Aren't you the one who was saying we should pretend everything is okay and keep going to class so nobody gets suspicious?"

"We're past that now. This is way more important."

Madoka stopped talking. Mei Mei bit her lip nervously. She didn't want to think about what must've happened to change Madoka's mind when she had been fully committed to the plan before.

She inquired as to whether they should get Chao Xin and Gingka, but Madoka shook her head, rattling Mei Mei's nerves even more. It was worse than she thought; Celestia was directly involved. There was no other reason why Madoka would have wanted to keep it secret from the guys. This was something only the two of them could face.

As they separated from the rest of the students, Mei Mei gratefully noted they weren't the only ones. A few other students were headed back to the dorms as well. At least they wouldn't attract as much attention as she'd dreaded.

Madoka slammed the door shut behind them and shuddered. The snow in her hair had since melted, leaving her hair dripping onto the throw rug they were using as a welcome mat. She placed her hand on her forehead, eyes closed.

"What's wrong?" Mei Mei asked, fear creeping in.

"I don't even know where to start. I saw Celestia and some hooded person wearing black sneaking around this hall earlier on my way to breakfast." Instinctively, Madoka went for the nearest towel, drying off the ends of her hair hoping it would distract her, but she still felt so disconnected.

It was Mei Mei's turn to shudder. All along, they had understood Celestia had helpers in the castle, but to see them walking out in the open during the daytime where anyone might notice them could only mean Celestia wasn't worried about anyone interfering.

And if Celestia wasn't worried, that could only mean one thing.

Mei Mei tried focusing on what was at hand. Madoka had yet to explain why she'd been outside and there must've been a good reason for that. "Then how did you get covered in snow?"

"I'll get to that, I promise. My point is they were talking about the winter solstice. Apparently, once that has passed Starlight Academy won't be useful to them anymore," Madoka opened her terror-filled eyes. She dropped the useless towel to the floor. "I think it's all over after that. We won't be able to do anything. We're almost out of time."

Mei Mei sat down on her bed, but the world felt like it was spinning all around her. The floor had disappeared beneath her feet. She closed her eyes, opening them slowly, hoping the dizziness would fade away.

Madoka sat down next to her.

"I know this is bad, but we still have a chance. We have over a week to figure this out. We can't sit around moping waiting for it to end."

"We need to pool together everything we have," Mei Mei managed to get out. "This is the last opportunity we're going to get."

"Yes," Madoka nodded. "I want to bring Chao Xin and Gingka in on everything. Absolutely everything; no more secrets. Maybe one of them knows something about Celestia and they don't even realize it's actually important. There could be something major we've missed. I don't want to risk having an answer right in front of us, but we're too busy trying to protect others to see it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You were completely against it the other day."

"There's no time. Not anymore. Being careful is only going to end up with us dead."

"Being rash might result in the same thing."

"I'm aware of that, but I'd rather be reckless, because if we only have a week left, then it's irrelevant whether or not they discover that we know what's going on. One way or another, Celestia and those creeps will be coming for us no matter how cautious we are," Madoka looked out the window towards the lake forlornly. "It's just a matter of time now, and we have to make the most of it."

"But if they catch on to us, they might come after us sooner. What do we do then?"

"Whatever we can do to escape," Madoka pursed her lips, then continued. "On my way to the dining hall, I was attacked. I realized I was being followed, and tried to shake them."

"What!?" Mei Mei shrieked. "You were _attacked_? What happened?"

"Shhh!" Madoka hissed. As fear kicked back in, she was finally starting to feel more attached to reality. "These walls are thin. Don't be so loud. I tried losing the person, but it was useless. It was one of the hooded people. They wear masks so I don't have a clue who it was. I ended up outside, on one of the parapets; that's why I was covered in snow."

"They trapped you up there?" Mei Mei asked, aghast. "How did you get away?"

"Just barely. I-" Madoka closed her eyes, reliving the nightmarish scene over and over. "I was at the very edge of the wall when they lunged at me. I stepped off to the side and pushed them. Whoever it was… They fell over the edge. I heard them scream." She still heard the scream, even now. The desperate sound haunted her.

Mei Mei hugged her friend, pulling her in close.

"What matters is you're alive," Mei Mei said firmly, believing those words more than anything. "That person wanted you dead. It's better that they're gone, because if you'd gotten away and it was reported, Celestia wouldn't have stood for it. You would have been number one on their hit list because you'd seen too much."

"I guess," Madoka responded softly. "It still doesn't feel right."

Mei Mei could barely stand to look Madoka in the face. Her expression was so dark and clouded, tortured and guilty all at the same time. It wasn't right. No matter what, they couldn't change what Madoka had done, but at least she was alive and in one piece. That person had intended to kill Madoka. Madoka shouldn't have had to feel bad about defending herself even if it had led to unintended consequences. No matter what had happened, she wasn't a murderer. Not at all.

Madoka sighed. "I'm afraid of what'll happen when they find the body. What if there's some way to trace it back to me?"

"We'll be okay," Mei Mei assured her. "If they're de- If they aren't around anymore, there isn't any way to tie it to you for sure. Only you and that person know exactly what took place up there. Celestia couldn't know they had gone after you, I mean, they seem to be randomly taking whatever students they can. You were alone, so whoever it was probably thought you were vulnerable, a perfect target."

Madoka suddenly stood up and began rifling through her bag, stuffing textbooks back into it. Mei Mei looked at her quizzically. She hoped she hadn't said anything to upset her. As sympathetic as she was toward her, Mei Mei could never understand exactly what Madoka was feeling now that she'd been forced to relive the trauma she'd experienced less than an hour ago. Part of Madoka would always be horrifically connected to whatever had happened on that parapet in a way no one else could hope to understand.

Madoka ignored the stare for the moment and continued what she was doing before providing an explanation. For a terrifying split second Mei Mei feared the stress was causing the only friend she had left to lose her mind.

"We need to go to our next class. We've been away for too long. Just act like you overslept and had a late morning or were panic finishing an assignment. I'm going to try to figure out another way out of here during it, but like I said before, we need to keep up appearances. No need to draw unnecessary attention by skipping class every day. I just needed to make you aware of what happened this morning. Stay on guard at all times."

Mei Mei smiled, glad that her friend had bounced back a little. The haunted look had faded from her eyes somewhat and a new fervor and determination had replaced it. Madoka's resolve was finally returning.

"I saw two other people from where I was standing at the top of the castle. They were walking toward the lake. I think it was Celestia and the figure I saw her with before. Something's out there," Madoka's eyes flashed as she zipped up her bag. "We're going to get out of here. I won't let Celestia win."

* * *

Mei Mei tapped her foot anxiously, looking at the blank sheet of notebook paper staring back at her.

As usual, Madoka was handling everything so well. Mei Mei didn't know how she did it. If she had been the one attacked this morning, Mei Mei knew she would have been a nervous wreck, checking around every corridor to see if anyone else was out to get her. She probably wouldn't have even left the dorm once she'd gotten back to its relative safety.

Although, she was certain Madoka was still dealing with the fallout from the event. That wasn't likely to go away anytime soon. At least for the moment it wasn't impeding on her ability to think clearly. If anything, Madoka was more fired up than before.

She'd tried to come up with escape plans like Madoka had asked, but that was proving to be a wasted effort. It all came back to needing a motorized vehicle to get out fast, which reminded her of the bus, but that needed gas and even then there was no guarantee it would be of any use… Mei Mei blinked, shaking her head slightly. There had to be something she wasn't seeing.

 _She_ needed to be the one to think clearly if she was going to come up with an alternative way to get out on foot.

Instead, she focused her energy on how to tell Chao Xin the truth. Obviously, the best way was to be up front and honest about it, but it worried her. If Chao Xin didn't believe her, she had no idea what she could possibly do to change his mind, if she even could. If her didn't believe her, would he tell someone? Talk to one of the staff members and tell them that he thought Mei Mei was losing her mind and needed serious help? Mei Mei herself found it hard to believe, except that she trusted Madoka with her life. Her best friend would never lie about something like this. Hikaru and Sophie were already gone. They hardly had anything left to lose anymore. Celestia was a monster, plain and simple.

Mei Mei doodled on the paper. After dinner, she and Madoka agreed it was best to bring the boys to their dorm and tell them everything. Whether or not they believed it was up to them. Mei Mei only wished there was an easy way to break it to them.

Gingka was in her class. He didn't pay much attention to the lecture, but Mei Mei sensed he wasn't too troubled by the events of the previous night. Judging from his appearance, he wasn't worried at all.

She envied him, but his blissful ignorance was about to be shattered and she wasn't jealous about that. She anxiously started tapping her foot again. She'd already had her world come crashing down on her more than once and didn't need to have that happen again. Every day seemed to bring some new horror as it was.

Mei Mei hated that they had to be the ones to break the bad news to them. It was bad enough explaining the pattern of sacrifices when the boys were led to believe it was some mystery person pulling all the strings. Explaining that the school was behind all along it was going to make things messier.

Ultimately, the real goal was to get out. With the storm raging, their hopes of fleeing were already diminished. Mei Mei didn't have access to weather updates unfortunately, nor did she think anyone in the office would be forthcoming with them if she asked. She couldn't really give them a valid reason for why she was asking without drawing suspicion anyway. It had been made clear once the seasons started changing, students would not be allowed outside as much and curfew would be enforced.

With snow on the ground, sneaking out of the castle would be significantly more difficult with teachers lurking around the exits. Asking for the forecast would most assuredly draw unneeded attention, placing more eyes on them. Even if she was the only one asking, all her roommates and acquaintances would probably be closely monitored, too. More than ever, it seemed likely that at least some of the staff members had to be involved.

If the snow kept up at the rate it was going, they would never get out, not to mention how much harder it would be to trek across any terrain with the addition of the blanket of ever-growing snow. Traveling the necessary miles in improper clothing could majorly complicate and hurt them. Frostbite was only one of their concerns. The school had provided blazers as an optional item to be added to the uniform in order to accommodate for winter, but the article wasn't nearly enough to fend off the constant cold of being outside for hours.

Mei Mei wished she had paid more attention earlier in the year. But back then, she'd been too bright-eyed and innocent than anything else to care about anything beyond getting into her dream school with all three of her closest friends. There had to be some clue that could be the key to getting out of here. There had to be someone who knew what they did, maybe that same person was even on their side. For all she knew, there was a teacher they could trust, but from her current outlook chances were slim.

She resumed doodling in her notebook, drawing a rough sketch of a castle as she tried to ignore the growing knot in her stomach.

The sinking horror of what might happen if they couldn't get out constantly permeated her mind. She knew the truth, no matter how much she didn't want to believe it. They would either get out alive, or not live to see another day after the solstice.

By the time lunch rolled around, snow continued to fall at a steady pace. Mei Mei found she wasn't hungry, but didn't have it in her to go back to the dorm. If she did, she was afraid all she would do was wallow in her misery, skipping the remainder of the day's classes.

Instead, she realized it was probably best to address the issue at hand currently: telling Chao Xin. Mei Mei was halfway to his dorm room, hoping he was there, when Madoka nearly plowed her down.

"What's got you in a rush?" Mei Mei grinned, laughing it off. The sudden encounter felt almost normal despite the ever-present grim atmosphere.

"I think we should tell the guys together, at the same time tonight," Madoka said breathlessly. "I'm on my way to see Gingka; he's impossible to track down half the time. I don't have a clue where he goes, outside of what pertains to his stomach. He's probably at lunch right now, caught up in all the food, so now's my best chance. I'm going to tell him to meet up with me after dinner."

"I'll do the same with Chao Xin. I'm on my way to find him during break, too," Mei Mei informed her.

"Sounds good. Tell him to meet up at our table when he's finished tonight." Madoka was gone in a flash before Mei Mei had a chance to respond.

When she got to his dorm, Mei Mei knocked. She tried a second time, again with no luck. Mei Mei tried twisting the door handle, only to find it was locked.

She groaned. He must've gone someplace else.

Having to tell Chao Xin face to face that he had to meet up with them rapidly became intimidating as she stood outside his door, waiting in hopes that he might stop by. He would ask questions, she was sure of it. She wasn't sure if she'd be ready to face those questions just yet. Lying to his face about what they needed to talk about felt awful. He'd know she was keeping something and that would stick in his mind all day. Deep down though, she understood Madoka was right. Telling them both everything all at once, no holds barred, was the best way to handle this less than ideal situation. With both girls there, they could be certain they got the guys on the exact same page.

Frantically, she dug through her bag until she found what she was looking for. Mei Mei pulled out a sticky note and pen, tearing the yellow paper from its pad. She wrote a short message, then stuck it on his door. She didn't sign her name, for fear of being discovered, only hoping that between her handwriting and the cryptic missive he'd put two and two together.

She walked away feeling guilty, but better than she would have if she'd delivered the message in person.

As it was, in a few hours, she wouldn't have a choice but to tell him the full story. Mei Mei was more than willing to delay seeing his reaction until then.

Mei Mei kept her head low as she made it over to the table she and Madoka occupied. Chao Xin had chosen that moment to enter the dining hall, but she wasn't ready to see him yet. She breathed a sigh of relief when his friends intercepted him before he had the chance to come see her.

The thought of eating dinner was nauseating, but she made herself do it anyway. She needed to eat now before the opportunity slipped away. When Chao Xin made it over to them, she knew her appetite would be gone. The thought of him potentially being disappointed in her was devastating. After all, he'd been so good to her in this mess. Madoka smiled at her sympathetically, moving food around her plate. Clearly she wasn't eating much either.

Dinner was quiet, but the silence between them gave Mei Mei a few minutes of peace in the calm before the storm. She and Madoka were both far too unsettled to carry on an easy conversation.

Already the clamor in the dining hall was beginning to die down as students departed. It wouldn't be long now.

She couldn't think of anything to say. Hopefully Madoka had a good idea of how to break the news, because Mei Mei sure didn't.

Mei Mei saw Chao Xin walking over to them, holding the note she had hastily scribbled down and stuck onto his dorm. She kept her head down, embarrassed that she didn't have the guts to face him and tell him in person that they needed to talk. It probably sounded like she wanted to break up with him, even though they weren't really together. She tried not to think about, especially when she considered his reaction to this news couldn't be good. As bad as she felt about it, she hadn't been forced to see his face when he'd learned something was going on. Anticipation had likely been killing him all day the same way it had with her.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Of course," Madoka plastered on a smile, shoveling down the rest of her pasta. She stood up, pushing her tray toward the center of the table. "This is about our situation. We need to discuss it. All of us."

She looked pointedly in Gingka's direction. He was still caught up with Masamune at his table, the two of them dangling pieces of spaghetti right in front of each other for whatever reason.

Gingka locked eyes with her, suddenly getting the message. A few moments later, he had joined them. After putting their trays up to be received by the kitchen staff, they could no longer avoid the inevitable.

Madoka led the way, confidently navigating the winding corridors.

Mei Mei hung at the back of the group, anxiously fiddling with the strap on her backpack and constantly looking back to make sure they weren't being followed. She ignored Chao Xin's concerned expression, not taking his hand.

She prayed he understood she wasn't rejecting him. Mei Mei wasn't going to let him take hold of her again until after he knew everything. She had to prepare herself for the worst-case scenario, knowing he might not want to see her again once everything was out in the open. It hurt, but letting him draw her in one last time was not in her best interests at the moment. How would he feel knowing she had kept such a big secret from him?

She needed to be ready for the very real chance that he could be the one rejecting her.

Students filed down the halls, leisurely heading to their evening destinations. Mei Mei hardly paid them any attention. Faces blurred together into an endless mass of bodies. They were like a herd of cattle, trapped in a castle with the same fate awaiting each and every one of them, Mei Mei thought bitterly. That was undoubtedly how Celestia viewed them.

She barely even noticed as Madoka unlocked their dorm, ushering everyone inside.

Mei Mei rearranged the desk chairs and straightened out the beds in a quick, haphazard attempt to make the room more welcoming while her mind was in another place, another world.

Madoka took a deep breath. "We have to tell you something."


	24. The Matriarch

**Was working on another story this morning when I got the urge to edit this, so here we are with a new chapter! Sooner than I was expecting lol. Thank you to Guest and FireDragon1619 for reviewing! The answer to your question is in this chapter, Guest. I hope you're all doing well during quarantine! I'd like to think I'm doing pretty okay, between writing and sticking glitter on my face for fun XD Please let me know what you think of this chapter! Chapter song is "The Matriarch" by Unleash the Archers. If you're into power metal I recommend listening to the album this song is on, _Apex_ \- it's a great concept one.**

 **I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.**

* * *

"You're kidding," came Gingka's disbelieving response. "This is unreal."

"How could you keep something like this from us?" Chao Xin asked, hair falling into his eyes as he shook his head.

"It's not that we wanted to," Mei Mei defended, preparing to launch into the speech she and Madoka had constructed. They'd known the guys wouldn't take the news very well and had prepared for that inevitability. Then it clicked. "Wait- you believe us?"

"Do we even have a choice?" Chao Xin challenged. "I'd like to think you wouldn't make something like that up, but now that you've admitted to keeping things from us, I don't know who to trust. If Celestia is evil and what you're saying is true, there's nothing we can do to change that."

"It is true and you can trust us," Madoka cut in quickly. "Look, we've only recently started putting the pieces together ourselves. Up until now, all we've had are bits of information that didn't connect. Some of it _still_ doesn't connect. You have to understand, we're taking a huge risk telling you or anyone else."

"You're saying you don't think we can keep a secret?" Gingka asked, looking a little crestfallen.

"No! We know you can keep a secret. The problem with this secret is speaking it, even in private like this, is dangerous. Celestia has eyes and ears all over the castle. No place is safe here."

"I still don't understand why you kept this from us," Chao Xin crossed his arms.

"The only ones we have seen definitely working with Celestia are wearing black robes with hoods and masks," Mei Mei reminded him. "We don't know who is under those masks. It could be anyone: teachers, people we don't know, or maybe she's even got some of our classmates in on it. There's no way to be sure unless we rip the mask off."

Mei Mei had to laugh inwardly at that. If she was close enough to one of them that ripping off the mask could even be an option, she felt like she'd already be done for.

"Except if we do that and they get away, it's still over. Celestia will know we're on to her," Madoka put in. "We'd have to… get rid of them or something so they couldn't tell anyone what we did and that would only make things worse."

"Celestia might already know you're on to her," Chao Xin said crossly. "After all, it sounds like she's the one who stole the book back from your dorm."

"Regardless, even if she does, this isn't something you go about telling other people lightly. What if we were wrong? We needed to be sure we had all the facts and were confident about it before telling people that our _headmistress_ is a monster that wants to sacrifice us to the freaking stars," Madoka snapped back.

"We still don't fully understand that part," Mei Mei said softly, trying to keep the guys from getting any more agitated. "It's hard to tell other people when you can barely bring yourself to believe it. Obviously it seems to be what's sustaining her, but there's more to it. There has to be."

"Such as?" Gingka raised an eyebrow.

Madoka rolled her eyes. "According to that book, Celestia was being raised as a priestess. Something went wrong during a ceremony, and now she's an immortal being? Tell me that _doesn't_ raise about two hundred questions in your mind. There's more to this than we're seeing, but we don't have the time or resources to get those answers."

"Why are you telling us this now?" Chao Xin asked, exasperated.

"We hoped you might have some insight about Celestia," Mei Mei explained. "We weren't expecting you to know the truth about her, but maybe you'd heard something or had a clue that could help us get away."

"Can't help you there," Gingka shrugged, pulling a cheeseburger out of his bag. The others stared at him. "What?"

Only Gingka could be so nonchalant at a time like this. Madoka resisted the growing desire to facepalm.

"Do you normally carry a second dinner in there?"

"Yup! And a midnight snack, too. They lock up the dining hall tight at night, so I have to make do. I tried sneaking back in there one time, but the door was closed. I heard voices inside, though so someone must've found a way in. I wish they'd told me how they did it."

Madoka and Mei Mei's eyes met each other's with interest. Gingka, with his constant hunger, may have provided them the information they desperately needed. Students may not have had access to the dining hall after hours, but there were others who most definitely would.

Madoka whipped out a notebook, excitedly asking Gingka what he remembered hearing, and what time he had tried to get into the room.

"It was a while ago," Gingka racked his brains. "I think it was before midnight, but I don't remember anything they said. I couldn't really hear anything from outside the door."

"Oh," Madoka deflated. "But that's okay! This might be our chance to get some answers. It had to be Celestia and her cronies in there. If we can get in there and overhear-"

"No way," Chao Xin cut her off. "That's way too dangerous. What if they catch you?"

"It's a chance we have to take. They might say something that could be the answer to us getting out of here!"

Chao Xin shook his head. "I'm not going. If you want to risk your own life, fine. I'll stay behind."

Madoka paused. "Okay. I'm not going to force anyone who doesn't want to go to do this, but we have to take this opportunity and investigate. I'm going. Is anyone else in?"

Gingka nodded enthusiastically. "A chance to get close to the food after hours? Of course I'm in!" His expression turned serious. "Besides, I'm not letting you go alone. You need backup."

Mei Mei was weighing her options when Madoka spoke her name. She tensed, still uncertain if she should go as backup for her friend. Staying behind was in her best interests, but if Madoka needed her Mei Mei wasn't about to abandon her, no matter how high the stakes were.

"It's settled. I want you and Chao Xin to stay here in the room; I'll leave you all my notes. Try to find out anything you can. See if there's something I missed. Gingka and I will get into the dining hall before they lock it up and wait to see if Celestia comes in."

Mei Mei was about to protest, to tell her friend it wasn't worth it after what had happened to her only hours ago in the morning, but Madoka's mind was already set. It was as though she'd forgotten about that near-death experience and was prepared to rush headlong into the next one. She had already pulled on her purple blazer and opened the door, beckoning to Gingka to come with her.

"Be safe," Mei Mei whispered as Gingka and Madoka disappeared from view. She hoped it wouldn't be the last time she would see them.

Mei Mei looked at the mess of papers covering Madoka's bed. Several notebooks were splayed open, others were lying upside down, and single pages had been ripped out of notebooks and even from a few books. Passages from the torn pages had been highlighted in vivid neons. Madoka's cosmology textbook in particular was excessively marked up, sticky notes of varying colors with short scribbles on them peeking out of it. Mei Mei had added her own star chart to the mess when they first started. It felt like years had passed since she'd found it in the tower instead of mere months.

She and Chao Xin had a lot of work ahead of them, but they also had plenty of time. Mei Mei's eyes flickered in the direction of the door. There was no way she was sleeping until she knew the other two returned safely. Until then, she'd do everything she could to unravel the mysteries of Starlight Academy.

Chao Xin frowned. "I really wish you could have told us everything from the start," he reiterated.

"Madoka was attacked this morning. She could have died up on that roof and we'd never have known," Mei Mei sighed, holding in a groan. "This whole situation is incredibly delicate. We truly thought what we were doing was best."

"You could have brought it up when we tried to escape."

Mei Mei shrugged. "Yeah, I guess we could have. There were so many other things to worry about, though. If we had gotten away, it wouldn't have mattered that you didn't know Celestia was involved. We would have been safe."

"You would have been comfortable lying to us like that?"

"Honestly, no, I wouldn't have. But Madoka and I both thought it would keep everyone safer. It's complicated."

"What, did you think we were involved? Madoka mentioned other students could be the ones in hoods."

"Of course not!" Mei Mei cried in shock, horrified the thought had ever crossed his mind. "No way. I swear, we never even considered that. We've barely even had time to think about who our enemies could really be with everything else, but never, _ever_ did we think of you." She wondered if that was the actual source of what was bothering him when the truth finally came out, not that the girls didn't trust them, but that they thought the boys could be a threat. Both realities had to hurt and she hated that she'd been the one to put the thought in his head.

He tried to smile, but it came out forced and broken. Chao Xin picked up Madoka's cosmology book. "Fine. Where do we even start?"

Mei Mei grabbed one of her own notebooks and opened to a fresh page, clicking her pen. "We start by making our own notes and timeline we can understand. I don't have a clue how Madoka's organized any of this."

By the time they had a rough sketch of everything that had happened since the start of the school year, well over an hour had passed.

Mei Mei looked worriedly at the door. It was far too early for Madoka and Gingka to come back, but the stress was eating her alive. She couldn't help it. Losing anyone else would be unbearable with Hikaru and Sophie already long gone.

 _Our best friends are dead and there's nothing we can do…_

Mei Mei wished they still had the book Madoka had swiped. It had really been a major help. She trusted Madoka's translation without question, but that didn't mean there weren't more answers waiting for them in it. Madoka had only gotten through individual parts and very few at that. She tried ignoring the thought that it could've contained the secret to escaping with their lives.

Mei Mei closed up one of Madoka's notebooks, looking for the next one. Judging by the content of them, she'd spent the last few weeks doing zero schoolwork, instead putting her effort into trying to resolve their current predicament.

Her own notebooks were full of half-written notes from class and mindless doodles, most of her time taken up by daydreaming about happier times more than anything else. Mei Mei grimaced. She had nothing useful to add.

Chao Xin kept editing the timeline they were constructing. He'd barely said a word since their mini-argument earlier. She felt awful, but wasn't sure how to say anything without potentially making things worse. There was no denying the silence was uncomfortable. She debated putting on soft music, although she didn't think it'd help.

Mei Mei decided to take a cue from him and keep digging.

* * *

Madoka and Gingka crouched in the kitchen, peering through a small opening in the door that led to the dining hall.

Their luck had held when they first made it down. The doors were closed, but fortunately unlocked. From there, it had been easy to get into the kitchen.

Gingka had immediately taken to raiding the kitchen the moment they chose it as a hiding place. There was a second exit inside primarily used by staff, which would provide them with another escape route if necessary. The last thing they needed to do was inadvertently trap themselves. Madoka was counting on not having to use it.

She would have chastised Gingka for snatching all the food, but she didn't have the energy. If it kept him occupied while they waited for Celestia to show up, she was willing to let him have his fun. Both of them needed a distraction. Gingka happily chowed down on an apple he'd taken from the fridge.

Madoka knew if they were caught, it was the end. She wasn't sure if she was prepared to face that reality quite yet, but it was a fact she had to accept. She'd gotten lucky once, but this time fighting back might not be an option.

They'd been in the room for a while, far longer than she'd expected to have to wait considering the time they'd come down, several hours past dinner already, but no one had shown up. She busied herself checking the time. If no one appeared by midnight, they would give it up and head back to the dorm. Getting back so late was pushing boundaries as it was. All the same, she refused to give up on this potential opportunity until she was absolutely certain nothing was going to happen.

Madoka stared up at the ceiling, counting specks in the dark gray stones. Only a few more hours separated her from her bed in the dorm. She blinked rapidly, trying to stay awake.

Even Gingka was beginning to tire of running around the kitchen. He joined Madoka on the floor with a yawn.

His hand found its way to hers, entwining their fingers. Madoka stared down at it, wondering what things could have been like for the two of them if everything hadn't gotten so wildly out of control.

At first, the noise was so quiet, she wasn't certain she heard anything at all. Then, a door suddenly creaked open.

Several of the hooded figures filed into the dining hall, forming an aisle as they stood across from each other. Madoka held her breath as she and Gingka peered out the window that normally students interacted with the kitchen workers through, getting a glimpse.

It was too big though, and too easy to be caught. Anyone could look over at any moment and see them. They ducked down. The large window was designed for passing food to trays; they needed to find something less obvious.

They crept over to the door they'd entered through, then pulled it open the slightest bit so they could hear and see, wishing the door wouldn't creak as they did so. Fortunately, the group seemed more concerned with what they were doing than any lurking spies.

Minutes passed before a few more of them entered the room, continuing to fall into position. Gingka looked at her with growing concern. There had to be almost ten of them in there now.

Madoka tightly gripped the first thing her free hand found- a fallen potato. Her nails dug into it, piercing the soft skin. She prayed they hadn't gotten in over their heads as more of Celestia's followers slipped quietly into the dining hall with barely a sound.

Finally, Celestia herself swept into the room wearing a long black and silver dress with crystals situated along the off-the-shoulder neckline, walking right down the center of the aisle into an ornate chair that had been placed at the end. Madoka recoiled at the beaming smile on her face, completely nauseated.

Gingka cracked the door open marginally more, earning a silent reprimand from Madoka, even if the act had improved their view.

"My friends, it is almost time. The comet of our goddess will be here by the winter solstice, as predicted centuries ago by the heavens. She has granted me boundless power as her priestess, and I aim to please her. On this night, we shall release the sacrifices that have been collected over many long years and shall once again grow young," Celestia stood up as she spoke, raising her arms upward. "The three special sacrifices have all been carefully hand-selected by myself and will greatly please our goddess."

Gingka and Madoka turned to face each other, both with mixed expressions of confusion and concern painted on.

Celestia commanded her audience. Each member stared at her with rapt attention, fully enamored. From where they watched, it was only possible to see the backs of the hoods as Celestia addressed them. Madoka was fairly confident she could have sneezed and no one would notice her, not that she was willing to try. She was almost tempted to open the door a bit more.

Celestia pressed on. "Our plan has been set. The rest of the necessary sacrifices will be gathered by the lake, as is called for in the sacred ritual. It will be no trouble to corral them there. Until then, we must wait.

"However, there is sadness wrapped into this coming blessed event. One of our own was found dead in the snow today, having fallen to their death from the top of my ancestral castle. I suspect a sacrifice was involved, yet no trace of a second body was found. We must keep our eyes open now more than ever. If that sacrifice still lives, we must silence them immediately, before it is too late. We have already caught several meddling; it should not come as a surprise that there may be more."

Madoka felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. Her only solace was in knowing that Celestia didn't seem to know it had been her that was responsible.

She shifted to her knees, still holding Gingka's hand as it kept her tethered to reality.

Celestia started leading her followers in what Madoka could only assume was some kind of ancient prayer, proceeding with a ritual she performed so flawlessly one could easily believe she had spent hundreds of years perfecting it.

Three statues had been revealed from behind the table reserved for the teachers. The table had been pushed off to the side out of the way.

All three were of women. Two of the statues held stone plates, upon which Celestia lit two burning fires. Whatever burned must've had some sort of incense, because the scent carried all the way to the kitchen. The smell wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. It reflected the ceremony itself, unsettling but paralyzing and impossible to pull away from. Items were placed at the feet of the two feminine statues as offerings by two of the people in hoods. The third statue, which was set slightly back from the others and was carved in a much more elaborate style could only be the goddess Celestia had been referring to.

The silver goddess statue had long curled hair and large, round eyes that stared into a vast emptiness no other could see. Shapes akin to stars appeared to have been carved into her hair. One arm was down while the other reached up open towards the sky. A small, empty altar with wavelike detailing on the sides was set just before the statue. Celestia looked at it reverently as she approached it.

Madoka pursed her lips. All this time the dining hall had been hiding a major secret. It was doubling as a temple, and if Madoka wasn't witnessing as Celestia led the others, she would never have known, let alone thought it possible.

Celestia began speaking in a language Madoka couldn't decipher, though she suspected it was likely the same one that the book had been written in. The language was similar to Latin, but differed enough that she wasn't confident what it was. Maybe it started as a dialect of Latin before breaking off and becoming its own linguistic entity until it was lost to time. Nonetheless, as Celestia spoke it with ease Madoka could still tell it was incredibly ancient.

Madoka turned away, unable to watch any further. Celestia's confident voice continued to fill the hall as she carried out the ritual or ceremony or whatever it was she was doing.

In truth, she was afraid of what she might see. They'd talked a lot about sacrifices, but Madoka didn't know the exact process. For all she knew, they were about to sacrifice someone right now, perhaps even on that tiny altar.

Madoka had heard enough. The sound of Celestia speaking was beginning to be too much to bear. They'd gotten what they had come for and more. She didn't dare stick around to find out what would happen next. They had to make their escape while they had the chance, before the ceremony was over and it was too late. Once the hooded figures were back out roaming the halls at night, safety was far from a guarantee.

Madoka looked over at Gingka. He was in a trance, fear capturing him as he watched the scene before him play out. Madoka touched his shoulder softly.

"We need to go." Her voice was nothing more than a fragile whisper. It was all she could manage.

Gingka nodded, shakily standing to his feet. The moment he was fully upright, Madoka noticed he looked significantly better, much less pale. She turned, only to bump right into a table, sending a large metal spoon that had been balancing precariously on the edge plummeting to the ground.

She could only watch in agonizing horror as Gingka desperately tried to grab for it with no luck, hands only brushing against the utensil.

A steely clang echoed across the floor, carrying out the open kitchen door into the dining hall.

Gingka jumped back, eyes wide, only to knock aside a knife block. The wooden object smacked to the floor with a bang, sending sharpened knives scattering in all directions in a metallic cacophony.

"What was that?" Celestia's harsh voice ripped through what had abruptly become an eerie silence.

Madoka and Gingka didn't waste any time. Racing towards the opposite exit, they tore the door open and fled into the darkness of the surrounding hall, not looking back once.

Madoka thanked whatever powers existed that Celestia and her gruesome creeps were all concentrated in the dining hall presumably headed for the now vacant kitchen rather than out patrolling the halls as they thundered through the corridors hastily making for the dorm at breakneck speed with no one to stop them.

* * *

Mei Mei stared at the sheet of paper before her in horror. She couldn't believe she had overlooked it before, but her distractions had been keeping her mind at bay for so long that she couldn't even see what was right in front of her.

Madoka had overheard that Celestia would be done with the school by the winter solstice; obviously, that had meant they'd be dead if they didn't get out in the next week.

Their combined astronomy/astrology class had announced they would be doing another outing soon. Mei Mei had figured it would give them the opportunity to compare the old star map again, if they hadn't escaped by that point, and barely gave the so-called field trip a second thought after that.

Now, feeling light-headed, she looked at the paper that outlined their assignment for their observation of the night sky.

The assignment was to take place near the lake, on the night of the winter solstice. She'd had the answer in front of her ever since the paper had been handed out, and when Madoka had learned about Celestia's plans involving solstice, they should have been able to instantly put it together. However, Mei Mei had been so distracted by everything that schoolwork had taken a total backseat and it'd resulted in her missing out on a huge clue. After being attacked, it was no wonder Madoka hadn't been focused enough to pick up on it either.

Celestia was planning on bringing all the students to that lake so she could finally seal their fates.

She stood up suddenly, blood rushing to her and making her feel woozy as she took a step forward. She tried to talk, but nothing came out. Her foot came in contact with a discarded book causing her to lose her balance, then slipping on pieces of paper that'd been carelessly tossed to the floor during their research. Black spots danced in her vision, and she was vaguely aware of Chao Xin calling out her name as he reached out to catch her before all went dark.


End file.
